Israel's Ultra-Orthodox not ready to take down Bennett government
Despite the political upset between the coalition and the opposition, the ultra-Orthodox seem in no hurry to topple the current government.
Knesset member Idit Silman quit the coalition and joined the opposition April 6, ending the government's parliamentarian majority. Silman quit following instructions by Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz for hospitals to allow non-kosher food during the upcoming Passover holiday.
Some observers claim that several opposition politicians were involved in Silman’s decision, while others say that even before the crisis, ultra-Orthodox politicians approached Defense Minister Benny Gantz to propose he quit the cabinet and form a government with them and the Likud. Gantz said yesterday, "I miss the ultra-Orthodox in this government. Nothing will happen in one week without chametz in hospitals. We in the army will work to find the right balance between the High Court and the preservation of tradition."
Israel’s two major ultra-Orthodox parties have been exiled from power for nine months. As members of the Knesset opposition since mid-June 2021, United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas used filibusters and other tools to exhaust the eight-party coalition and disrupt its work. Their intense efforts exhausted them, too.
Silman’s announcement did not surprise UTJ’s seven seasoned Knesset members, who had already identified cracks in the fragile coalition. “We realized immediately that the weakest link in the coalition was actually the Yamina party of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett,” one UTJ lawmaker told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, predicting that Silman would not be the last Yamina member to jump ship.
