Edelstein to be ousted as defense committee chair amid rift over Haredi conscription, vote on replacement to be held Wednesday

By Sam Sokol 21 July 2025, 1:39 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Likud's Yuli Edelstein leads a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 21, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party will hold a faction meeting in the Knesset on Wednesday to decide on a new chairman for the powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, replacing Likud MK Yuli Edelstein.

A message sent to party MKs today informs them that coalition whip and faction chairman Ofir Katz has decided to “hold elections” for the position and that nominations for Edelstein’s replacement can be submitted until tomorrow at 8 p.m.

According to Hebrew media reports, Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky, a member of Edelstein’s committee, has put himself forth as a candidate. Fellow committee member Boaz Bismuth’s name has also been raised in connection with the position.

Speaking with national broadcaster Kan, Likud MK Nissim Vaturi says that he too intends to seek the position.

The Ynet news site reported earlier today that there is growing pressure on Netanyahu from within his party to oust Edelstein as the committee chair over his apparent refusal to draft a law on Haredi military conscription deemed acceptable by ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, thereby potentially jeopardizing the government.

Last Monday, the Haredi United Torah Judaism party quit the coalition over the government’s failure to legislate military exemptions for full-time yeshiva students. It was followed on Wednesday by Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party Shas, which bolted the government while remaining a member of the coalition.

Edelstein has said any conscription law would have to include personal and institutional sanctions on draft dodgers. His bill failed to deliver on several key Haredi demands, including offering full amnesty to yeshiva students who have already received and ignored enlistment orders.