Israel
Israel’s Shas party leaves government over ‘persecution of yeshiva students’
The religious party objects to the Israeli government’s plans to draft haredim
July 16, 2025 16:53
The religious party objects to the Israeli government’s plans to draft haredim
July 16, 2025 16:53Israel's orthodox Shas party, has decided to step away from the government over its treatment of Strictly Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in the IDF
Shas has objected to the Israeli government’s efforts to draft Haredi men into the IDF and, in a statement, condemned the “continued terrible persecution against the holy yeshiva students.”
This comes after a meeting of its ruling Council of Torah Sages in Jerusalem, who decided to order the withdrawal of the party from all government posts.
Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli, claimed that the rabbinic leadership of the party felt betrayed over the government’s attempts to draft Strictly Orthodox men into the IDF, and end the decades-long religious exemption enjoyed by the community.
Shas announced yesterday that “following the serious and unacceptable harm to the status of Torah scholars” brought about by the current government, its ruling Council of Torah Sages would meet for “a crucial discussion regarding [the party’s] continued path in the government”.
Shas party newspaper HaDerech has pointed the finger at “Likud and Edelstein’s blatant violation of agreements on the law regulating the status of yeshiva students”.
While Shas MKs have left the government, they remain in the coalition and have ruled out “any cooperation with the leftist and opposition parties, since they too lead the wild incitement against the Torah scholars.”
Fellow Orthodox party United Torah Judaism dropped out of the coalition Monday night after being presented with a copy of a proposed bill made by Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chair Yuli Edelstein. The party claimed that the bill violated the terms of a compromise that was reached by the two sides last month when efforts were made to try and prevent the Haredi parties from causing the warring-government to crumble.
The Knesset is due to break for recess on July 27, returning in late October.
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