In a bombshell revelation aired Wednesday evening on Channel 13’s flagship news broadcast, recordings of an extraordinary English-language conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, have surfaced. The lengthy dialogue, believed to have been recorded ahead of last March’s state budget vote, captures Netanyahu unequivocally committing to advance the Chareidi draft law while admitting to ousting former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi due to their stances, which he claims obstructed progress on this critical issue.

“We need to save not only the State of Israel but also the world of Torah,” Netanyahu began, setting the tone for the conversation. “To do that, we need time to pass the law properly, in a way that cannot be challenged. And I’m going to do it.” Explaining the removal of senior defense officials, he added, “We had tremendous obstacles that we removed. You know, when the Defense Minister is against you, and the Chief of Staff is against you, you cannot move forward. Now we can move forward.”

Netanyahu emphasized his personal investment in the matter, telling Rav Hirsch, “I spoke personally about 20 times with Yuli Edelstein, who chairs the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. I told him—I’m personally taking command and responsibility for this. I want you to hold more discussions—and he started doing it.” With the leadership changes in place, he asserted, “We can now move forward with more confidence and more professionalism.”

The Prime Minister also shared updates on IDF initiatives to establish dedicated tracks for Chareidim, ensuring their Torah identity remains intact. “The army is doing exactly what we asked. They’re creating the ability to absorb Chareidim while maintaining a Chareidi lifestyle in the army. It’s amazing what’s being done. So people enter Chareidi and leave Chareidi. We don’t want them to enter Chareidi and leave secular—that’s not what we want. We want every Torah-observant person to leave as Torah-observant, as part of the Torah world. And we can do that; it’s not a problem.”

Netanyahu urged Rav Hirsch to understand the need for additional time, clarifying he never promised the law would be finalized by Shavuos but rather targeted Rosh Hashanah. “I think that’s an appropriate time, enough time. If you know the Knesset’s legislative processes like I do, you know they have ways to slow us down. I’m taking the time to not let them sabotage it. Because no matter how much they try to delay us, there’s a limit to what they can do. But we can’t do this at breakneck speed, because then we’re handing our opponents a gift on a silver platter. Why give them that?” He estimated the delay at “about eight weeks,” adding, “Maybe we’ll get lucky, maybe we can speed it up—that’s what I’d love to do—but we might face obstacles. So I don’t want to be tied to a deadline I promised you that I can’t keep.”

Seeking Rav Hirsch’s cooperation to prevent a government crisis, Netanyahu warned of the consequences of a collapse: “There are two things here. One is the legislative process—in the legislative process, we cannot fall. We don’t need to fall, and there’s no reason to fall. We can pass this. What they want to do, the opponents, those on the left—they’re just trying to topple the government and harm the Torah world. That’s what they want. They’re not working for the Torah world—they’re working to bring it down.”

In a personal appeal, Netanyahu invoked his family history: “Let us be wise. You should know—my grandfather was a rabbi. I am committed to the Torah world. I will act to protect it, to safeguard it. Let’s take this issue off the table. Because this is the biggest threat to the Torah world. If we don’t pass the law, they’ll keep using it to harass the Torah world, to try to bring it down, and that’s something we can stop. Finally, we can block it. But I need—respectfully, Rav, I need your help. I rely on you, and I want you to rely on me. If we work together, we’ll finish this once and for all.”

In response, the Prime Minister’s Office stated: “As clearly heard in the recordings—without the distorted interpretations of Channel 13’s ‘commentators’—the Prime Minister notes that the previous Chief of Staff and Defense Minister prevented the establishment of dedicated units for Chareidi service. In contrast, the current Defense Minister and Chief of Staff are advancing the issue quickly and professionally, and we are proud of that.”

This unprecedented glimpse into high-level discussions underscores the delicate balance between political maneuvering and the Chareidi community’s steadfast commitment to preserving the olam haTorah, leaving Klal Yisroel watching closely as the draft law saga unfolds.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)