UTJ’s Moshe Gafni sidesteps questions on drafting non-yeshiva Haredim and issues a scathing rebuke of Likud and Religious Zionism factions amid enlistment law gridlock.
Tensions within Israel’s religious-political sphere intensified Thursday morning as MK Moshe Gafni of United Torah Judaism (UTJ) declined to take a definitive stance on whether Haredi men not studying Torah should be drafted into the Israel Defense Forces.
During a pointed interview on Kol Barama Radio, Gafni repeatedly dodged direct questions about military enlistment for non-yeshiva Haredim. When asked whether those who are not engaged in Torah study should join the IDF, Gafni responded tersely: “We take care of those who study Torah.”
Pressed further on the matter, he reiterated: “We care for Torah scholars.” The evasiveness underscores ongoing internal conflict over the controversial draft law, a legislative linchpin for both coalition negotiations and ultra-Orthodox autonomy.
Addressing the political fallout around MK Yuli Edelstein, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Gafni dismissed the notion that Edelstein’s removal would pave the way for UTJ’s return to the government.
“Edelstein’s dismissal changes nothing. Our condition remains clear: we return only with a mutually agreed-upon enlistment law,” Gafni declared.
In a heated moment, he unleashed sharp criticism against his former coalition allies, particularly elements within Religious Zionism and Likud.
“They speak to us as if we were animals in a jungle,” he said. “Before preaching to us, they should examine their own conduct.”
Gafni’s remarks reflect deepening frustration within the Haredi political camp, as trust erodes and the future of coalition unity hangs in the balance.
