A fresh coalition crisis erupted Monday after the government pulled the controversial Daycare Subsidy Bill from the Knesset agenda at the last minute, prompting Shas and United Torah Judaism to announce they will no longer support coalition legislation.

In a joint statement, the two chareidi parties said:

“We have informed Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz that due to the failure to place the Daycare Bill on today’s agenda, we will not vote in favor of coalition legislation in the Knesset plenum today.”

The bill had been expected to receive its first Knesset reading after intensive negotiations between coalition leaders and the chareidi parties.

The legislation, sponsored by Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni along with several other coalition lawmakers, would ensure that eligibility for government daycare subsidies is not affected by a parent’s status as a full-time yeshiva student or higher education student.

The chareidi parties have been pushing to complete the bill’s second and third readings within the next two weeks in order to restore daycare subsidies for young avreichim who have received draft notices.

Political and legal officials, however, have expressed skepticism that the legislation alone would survive judicial review, with many believing the High Court would still require broader legislation regulating the legal status of yeshiva students before allowing the subsidies to resume.

The decision to remove the bill from Monday’s agenda has sharply escalated tensions within the coalition.

In addition to boycotting coalition legislation, the chareidi parties indicated they will also withhold support from several key coalition initiatives, including legislation to establish a political commission of inquiry.

The dispute follows days of public friction between the chareidi parties and Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich over the legislation. Smotrich recently claimed credit for amendments giving preference to IDF reservists, drawing angry responses from senior chareidi leaders.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)