Likud lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky is poised to challenge MK Yuli Edelstein for the chairmanship of the Knesset’s powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, amid intensifying pressure within the party to remove Edelstein over his stance on the controversial military draft bill.
Milwidsky’s potential candidacy comes as senior Likud ministers escalate demands on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to replace Edelstein with a loyalist who will support advancing the legislation, which seeks to expand draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students. Edelstein, a former Knesset speaker, has pushed back against the bill in its current form, drawing accusations from colleagues of working against Netanyahu’s agenda.
To remove a sitting chair, the Likud faction must first vote to back an alternative candidate, followed by a formal vote within the committee. Party insiders say Milwidsky is seen as a dependable Netanyahu ally who could steer the bill through despite mounting resistance.
Milwidsky, the Knesset’s Deputy Speaker, drew a parallel in January between the issue of drafting Haredim and the efforts to secure the hostages’ release. He said, “Anyone demanding ‘all of them now,’ just like those calling for the immediate release of hostages, is playing politics and stirring up populism.” He emphasized that you can’t implement Haredi conscription overnight just because of a legal opinion — it has to be a gradual process. “This has been the reality for over 70 years; it won’t change overnight.”
In March, Milwidsky made it clear that the draft law will only move forward through dialogue, not by force or confrontation. He added that the goal is to immediately increase the number of soldiers enlisted, not to create conflict with Haredi institutions.
Calls for Edelstein’s removal grew louder over the weekend, with multiple Likud figures accusing him of pursuing “foreign motives” and urging Netanyahu to act. The coalition is seeking swift passage of the bill to pave the way for the return of ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, which exited the government over delays in the legislation.
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The two Haredi factions remain split over their strategy. Some support Edelstein’s continued leadership, while others are prepared to use the coalition’s majority to push the bill through with or without him. A Shas spokesperson stressed that replacing Edelstein alone would not satisfy their demands; only real progress on the bill would.
In a Sunday interview with the Haredi news site Kikar HaShabbat, UTJ leader Yitzhak Goldknopf warned that the bill’s enforcement provisions would spark widespread unrest. He rejected the possibility of arresting yeshiva students, saying, “Let them try—there will be no peace in the country.”
The IDF has issued roughly 54,000 new draft summonses to ultra-Orthodox youth. Only a fraction have complied, prompting the military to expand its policing units and coordinate enforcement efforts with civilian authorities, with plans to avoid direct confrontations in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
Milwidsky has not yet formally declared his candidacy, but with momentum building behind him, a faction vote could be held soon. If successful, he would likely become the coalition’s key figure in advancing one of its most politically sensitive laws.