Liberman slams move to oust Edelstein as latest sacrifice to appease ultra-Orthodox

By Ariela Karmel

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21 July 2025, 4:15 pm

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Ariela 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.

Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on July 7, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman lashes out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition ahead of a Likud faction vote to replace MK Yuli Edelstein as chair of the Knesset’s powerful Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Liberman calls Edelstein, who has long been an obstacle to demands by Haredi parties regarding the draft exemption law, “the next victim of the draft-dodging government,” accusing Netanyahu of sacrificing him to appease ultra-Orthodox parties demanding new legislation to exempt yeshiva students from military service.

The Yisrael Beytenu leader also criticizes remarks made yesterday by United Torah Judaism chief Yitzhak Goldknopf, including that Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin had promised Haredi leaders that the exemptions would be enshrined as a Basic Law. The UTJ chief said that the 54,000 draft orders will not be enforced.

“The incitement to evade military service by Haredi leaders has nothing Jewish about it; it is heresy,” Liberman says, accusing the ultra-Orthodox leadership of “holding their public hostage for power, honor and money.”

“All the great sages of Israel were fighters. Maimonides and Rashi worked full-time jobs,” he continues. “So any so-called ‘leadership’ that incites to idleness and draft evasion is a heretical leadership.”

He adds that he believes the civil rights of those who don’t serve in the army should be revoked, adding, “In most modern countries, there are restrictions on voting rights, and that’s how it should be here too.”