The Knesset House Committee on Monday approved the removal of MK Yuli Edelstein from the chairmanship of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Following the vote, the committee convened and elected MK Boaz Bismuth as its new chairman.
During the discussion, Edelstein remarked: “Mark this date: without exaggerating my importance—if I am removed today, the Knesset will never be the same.”
He added, “I fought for a true Draft Law, but the haredi leadership simply does not want to enlist. Changing the identity of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman will not change anything. This removal will lead to chaos in the IDF.”
“Today’s vote is the final nail in the coffin of the Draft Law,” Edelstein continued, stressing, “I personally prevented the draft-dodging law. To the regular, career, and reserve soldiers, I say this: I promise I will not abandon you and will continue to fight for a true Draft Law.”
MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party) commented during the discussion: “I greatly respect MK Edelstein, and this is not personal. I read the Attorney General’s opinion, and there has been a lot of confusion. Knesset members are bound by the coalition agreement. It may be that some MKs do not accept coalition discipline, and it would be legitimate to replace them. The commitment to pass a conscription law is not the government’s but that of the factions signed and bound by the coalition agreement.”
MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid) said: “There are things that should be a matter of principle before they are legal. The purpose of Knesset members attending committee meetings is to have their opinions heard. What does replacing a committee chairman say about the Knesset and its work? What does it say about the time of MKs and committee guests?”
MK Tally Gotliv (Likud) added: “For over a year, I’ve been saying that the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman needs to be replaced, as he did not allow committee members to fulfill our role in overseeing the military leadership. We’ve had 40 discussions that led to nothing. We will enact a law that will lead to haredi enlistment. MK Bismuth has a deep understanding of the entire Middle East arena and a profound security perspective.”