From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 14, 2025
United Torah Judaism to leave government by day’s end unless presented with enlistment bill, party officials confirm
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"
Speaking with The Times of Israel ahead of United Torah Judaism’s weekly faction meeting, Motti Babchik, a senior adviser to chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf, says that the ultra-Orthodox party is headed toward an exit from the coalition.
“We’re dragging everybody out,” he says.
Babchick and Goldknopf represent the party’s Hasidic Agudat Yisrael faction.
Degel Hatorah MK Yitzhak Pindrus also confirms reports that his faction will withdraw from the coalition unless presented with an updated enlistment bill within the day.
“It looks like we will leave,” the Haredi lawmaker confirms.
According to the Haredi media reports, two of Degel Hatorah’s senior rabbinical leaders sent a letter to party MKs instructing them that “in the absence of a law by this evening, Degel Hatorah will immediately withdraw from the government.”
The letter called on Degel Hatorah politicians to leave their positions, including Deputy Transportation Minister Uri Maklev and Knesset Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni, the ultra-Orthodox Behadrei Haredim news site reports.
The Times of Israel Community.