In the shadow of the escalating crisis gripping the political system and mounting threats of Knesset dissolution, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel gathered today (Thursday) for an extraordinary, out-of-the-ordinary session. The urgent meeting took place at the vacation home of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Moshav Ora, where the Rebbe had recently returned after an extended period of medical treatment abroad.
This marked the first gathering of the Chassidish Moetzes since 2023, though it was held with a notably incomplete roster. Absent were the prominent Admorim of Belz, Sanz, Slonim, and Vizhnitz Merkaz. Nevertheless, the session saw the participation of the Admorim of Ger, Vizhnitz, Boyan, Seret Vizhnitz, Biala (in his first appearance since his father’s petirah), and Modzitz.
During the gathering, chareidi representatives—Housing Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf, Deputy Minister Yaakov Tessler, and MK Yisroel Eichler—delivered sobering and alarming updates. Minister Goldknopf emphasized the unprecedented challenges facing the chareidi community, stating, “Never has there been such a matzav for the chareidi tzibbur.” Deputy Minister Tessler sounded a similar warning, noting, “The list of sanctions published targets only chareidim—including the gezeirah on daycare centers affecting thousands of chareidi women.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Moetzes’ secretary, Rav Yaakov Waltzer, read aloud the rabbonim’s unequivocal psak: “It is forbidden to sit in a government that persecutes lomdei Torah.” This decision serves as a clear and unmistakable warning to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
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Agudas Yisroel clarified that it will not initiate an independent bill to dissolve the Knesset but will support an opposition-sponsored bill next week—a move that could precipitate the government’s collapse.
The Moetzes represents chareidi MKs Yisroel Eichler, Moshe Roth, and Yaakov Tessler, as well as Minister Goldknopf, who, while not a Knesset member, leads the party.
Notably, the chareidi gathering coincided with a dramatic meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein, and Shas negotiator Ariel Attias.
This ruling of the Moetzes follows the previous decisions of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Degel HaTorah as well as Shas to leave the government. This will likely topple Netanyahu’s 68-seat coalition (out of 120).
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9 Responses
now, if they could just as peacefully topple the whole state…
Everyone is taking the Peleg position; the Litvish, the Chasidish and the Sefardish.
What do they gain? It’s not like q different government will let them stay out of the army
Boruch Hashem. Let us hope it is true. Netanyahu needs to face the Israeli electorate and answer for his failures on October 7th and how he has managed this war. Netanyahu blundered with his Gaza food and aid blockade and his foolish over association with Trump and MAGA. Israel needs new responsible leadership now. The frum world needs to break free from the right wing spell and dissociate itself from Bibi and Ben Gvir.
This is only a threat to impose pressure on Bibi. They won’t go all the way to topple the Gov and receive Lieberman who will put all bochurim in jail and will additionally cut off all aid that the chareidim are still receiving.
Because the other side is so much better?
They don’t even pretend not to want to draft everyone. What do they hope to accomplish?
for an extraordinary, out-of-the-ordinary session?
Extraordinary means out of the ordinary. Poor writing.
ujm:
You mean everyone is taking G-d and His Torah’s obvious and default position.
I heard that the main concern is that, in the army, they will be required to wake up early and be forced to davin and say shema before zman teffilah and zman krias shema.