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Sunday, July 20, 2025
Gafni attends Knesset panel on compensation for businesses harmed by war, week after resigning as chair
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Former Knesset Finance Committee chair MK Moshe Gafni of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party attends the panel’s meeting to discuss the government’s compensation plan for businesses and workers harmed economically by last month’s war with Iran.
Gafni resigned from his post as panel chair last week after UTJ left the government over its failure to pass a law exempting yeshiva students from military conscription — a key demand for the ultra-Orthodox parties.
The lawmaker says that he is attending today’s meeting in order to see the economic relief legislation passed — his absence at an earlier scheduled meeting stalled progress on the bill, raising concerns about the committee’s ability to pass the critical legislation before the summer session ends on July 27.
The senior Haredi MK at one stage takes the seat reserved for the panel’s chair, while telling those present that he is present simply in his capacity as a member of the committee.
Following Gafni’s resignation Monday evening, the Knesset Finance Committee approved a recommendation from the House Committee to appoint Likud MK Ofir Katz as the new chair of the influential panel.
The committee then scheduled today’s meeting to discuss the compensation plan, which was to be led by interim chair MK Yinon Azoulay of Haredi party Shas. Gafni says he was temporarily filling the seat at Azoulay’s request, but not for the entire meeting
The Times of Israel Community.