Pressure is mounting within Israel’s ruling Likud party to remove MK Yuli Edelstein as chair of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee after tensions over a controversial military draft law that would expand exemptions for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students led to the Haredi parties to leave the coalition. Senior Likud ministers accuse Edelstein of acting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s agenda and are pushing for his replacement with a loyal member of parliament who will advance the legislation.
Throughout the weekend and into Sunday, prominent Likud figures expressed a unified message accusing Edelstein of pursuing “foreign motives” and called on Netanyahu to remove him in favor of an MK who can secure passage of the draft legislation in the coalition’s preferred form. Netanyahu’s inner circle is reportedly considering several candidates seen as capable of withstanding political pressure and steering the legislation forward.
Meanwhile, the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism remain divided on their strategy. Some within the factions support Edelstein continuing to lead the committee while others are prepared to use the coalition’s parliamentary majority to amend the bill during committee debates. A Shas spokesperson stressed that removing Edelstein or creating a new committee would not suffice to bring the party back into the government; only tangible legislative progress would.
In an interview published Sunday on the news site Kikar HaShabbat, United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf delivered a stark warning over enforcement of the draft law’s expanded exemptions. “This is a decree that no one will be able to carry out or implement,” he said. “It is impossible to harm Torah students, yeshiva learners. You cannot carry out arrests. Let them try — there will be no peace in the country, in one way or another.” He added that while he was not referring to physical violence, “the state will not rest.”
Goldknopf’s comments come amid a significant escalation by the Israel Defense Forces, which recently issued about 54,000 new draft summonses to ultra-Orthodox youth as a deterrence measure. Despite this, only a fraction of those summoned have reported for duty. The military is preparing to expand its military police forces and increase cooperation with civilian police, focusing enforcement efforts outside ultra-Orthodox population centers to reduce direct confrontations.
The government is grappling with growing instability following mass resignations of ministers from Shas and United Torah Judaism over the military draft dispute. Approximately 10 ministries and several key Knesset committees are currently without permanent leadership.
Tourism Minister Haim Katz is acting in several ministerial roles including the Housing Ministry, which was vacated a month ago after United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf resigned. Unlike a previous temporary handover when Katz assumed responsibilities for Otzma Yehudit’s portfolios after Itamar Ben-Gvir’s resignation, Katz has yet to take on all the recent vacancies. This delay results from competing claims by Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who demand a share of the ministerial posts rather than allowing Likud to absorb all vacant positions — especially amid speculation of early elections.
Despite their formal resignations, Shas and United Torah Judaism continue to exert de facto control over their ministries through political appointees and senior staff who have mostly remained in place. The Housing Ministry exemplifies this trend, where most of Goldknopf’s team continues to operate — except for Moti Babchik, a senior official dismissed after publicly criticizing Netanyahu.
Key portfolios currently without ministers include Health, Labor, Welfare and Jerusalem Affairs. The latter is widely seen as symbolic, with United Torah Judaism expected to maintain influence via its existing director general. The Labor and Welfare ministries may temporarily be combined under a single acting minister, mirroring arrangements prior to their separation.
Ministerial resignations and internal coalition tensions continue to surface. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel initially resigned but retracted his decision to complete critical initiatives including a recovery plan for Nazareth and appointing a new acting director general. Nonetheless, Arbel submitted his resignation again Sunday.
Meanwhile, Shas continues to push for permanent appointments within ministries such as Labor even as interim leaders fill roles. The dismissal of Moti Babchik by Haim Katz, following Babchik’s public criticism of Netanyahu, underscores ongoing friction within the coalition.
As the possibility of early elections looms, doubts grow over the government’s ability to effectively manage ministries and advance critical legislation including the contentious military draft law expanding exemptions for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students. Smotrich emphasized the coalition’s priorities, saying, “We are focused not on political appointments but on stabilizing the right-wing government to continue the war effort, extend Israeli sovereignty and promote key initiatives. It is strange that some obsess over job titles and spoils as if that’s what matters now.”
First published: 16:49, 07.20.25