MK Moshe Gafni, who chairs the Degel Hatorah faction of the Ashkenazi-haredi United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, has hinted that despite threats, his party is unlikely to leave the coalition, so as not to reward Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for her efforts to harm the haredi sector.
Speaking at a conference held in Lithuanian-haredi leader Rabbi Dov Lando's home, Gafni said, "Their entire intention is simply that we leave the coalition, communication with them, their courts, and they think that the more they harm Torah learners, we'll leave the coalition and go to them - that's their entire goal."
"The opposition understood that the media is theirs, the courts are theirs, everything is theirs, and the more they harm Torah learners the [faster] we'll leave the coalition and go to them."
"That is their entire intention, that is what they are doing with everything they can - in the Torah education system and in all the budgets pertaining to our sector. They want it to be terrible for us and they know that what is most important to us, and what hurts our souls most, are the Torah learners, and they are doing everything, by means of the courts and their secretaries, in order to ensure that we cannot learn Torah."
Gafni's statements follow a Mishpacha report which said that the haredi parties - UTJ and Shas - are preparing two bills in parallel to present in the Knesset: A Draft Law bill which would legislate a law acceptable to the haredi parties, and a bill to dissolve the Knesset, which would break apart the government and force new elections.
According to the report, the process is intended to force Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to choose between advancing the Draft Law, or risking his government breaking apart.