United Torah Judaism chair MK Yitzhak Goldknopf accuses Likud of “crossing a red line” after it published a rare statement on Shabbat eve, in violation of traditional Jewish religious law.
“Publishing an official political statement in the middle of Shabbat constitutes crossing a red line and a serious violation of the sanctity of Shabbat and the status quo, which are fundamental values of the State of Israel as a Jewish state,” says the ultra-Orthodox lawmaker.
The decision to publish the statement, he fumes, is a sign of “contempt for the Shabbat-observing public.”
The statement published by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party had sought to downplay the premier’s ties to Eli Feldstein, after the ex-aide claimed that the premier was behind the leak of a stolen document containing classified intelligence.
Addressing the content of the statement, Goldknopf says that there is “no justification, neither political nor media-based, for violating Shabbat for the purpose of putting out denials and spin.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, December 27, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
