From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Haredi Degel HaTorah faction says it will back state budget, easing its advancement
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam 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"
Following a meeting with Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth and coalition whip Ofir Katz, the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah faction announces that it will vote ‘yes’ in the first reading of the 2026 state budget.
It demands that the Haredi draft exemption bill advance before the budget’s final passage.
In a statement, a spokesman for party spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando says that following the meeting, “Degel Hatorah will support the budget law on first reading and will insist that the conscription law be completed before bringing the budget law to second and third readings.”
According to Hebrew media, Bismuth agreed to hold a series of talks to iron out Haredi objections to parts of the bill.
The ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which was also present at the meeting, will also reportedly support the budget this evening, making it likely to advance.
The Times of Israel Community.