The Shas and United Torah Judaism factions responded to the statement by Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein, stating that "MK Yuli Edelstein stood in front of the cameras today – and brazenly lied to the public." They further stated that "for a year and a half, he has been misleading everyone who worked to bring about a balanced arrangement. He continues to deceive about a 'compromise outline' he supposedly formulated, but in practice has sabotaged every possible solution. The public in Israel needs to know the truth: Yuli Edelstein is playing a political game at the expense of those serving, cynically exploiting the pain of families and bringing down the right-wing government with his own hands."