Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid issued a statement on Wednesday evening in which they announced that they would bring the “From Uniform to University” Law to a vote in the Knesset on Monday, in an attempt to humiliate the Likud.
The law is intended to fund scholarships for IDF soldiers who have completed their compulsory military service. However, the Likud has stated that it will not vote in favor of it, as the opposition has decided not to cooperate with any legislation being brought forward by the coalition.
"On Monday, we will present to the Knesset plenum the Defense Minister's ‘From Uniform to University’ Law for a vote by roll call. All the discharged fighters and their families will be able to watch the Likud Knesset members live on TV. We call on the opposition members to put politics aside for the benefit of our soldiers," said the statement from Bennett, Gantz and Lapid.
The chairman of the Religious Zionism Party, MK Bezalel Smotrich, responded to the statement and wrote, "On Wednesday, we will present to the Knesset plenum the law banning the return of terrorist bodies for a vote by roll call. All Israeli citizens will be able to watch the coalition members live on TV. We call on the coalition members, put politics aside, for the benefit of our soldiers, and our citizens."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Likud announced that opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu had approached Gantz and asked him to increase scholarships from 66% to 100% under the "From Uniform to University" Law, but Gantz refused.
"At the same time, a senior member of the coalition contacted the director of the factions in the opposition, MK Yariv Levin, to open negotiations on raising the amount of support for soldiers, but following statements by Likud MKs about supporting the law in its current form, the coalition stopped negotiating to increase the scholarships," claimed the Likud.
The party added that "in light of the coalition's decision to end negotiations with the Likud, former Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold a discussion on the issue with the leaders of the opposition parties."