MK Yitzchak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism) sparked controversy on Sunday evening during a discussion in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the proposed conscription law.
Referring to the sanctions included in the draft legislation, Goldknopf compared them to “a yellow star for Torah students," a remark that immediately drew criticism from across the political spectrum.
Committee chair MK Boaz Bismuth (Likud) responded by distancing himself from the comparison, stating that while he holds “great respect for Torah scholars and the haredi community," such language “crosses a line" and is inappropriate in this context.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli sharply criticized Goldknopf’s remarks, calling them an example of extreme political detachment. He said that comparing sanctions related to draft evasion to the yellow star demonstrated a profound disconnect and added that the public deserves more responsible leadership.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also condemned the statement, emphasizing that Goldknopf is no longer part of the mainstream coalition and is not expected to return. Smotrich said there is no place in the coalition for leaders who are “disconnected, insensitive, and who repeatedly harm Israeli society, IDF soldiers, and Torah students."
Smotrich further stated that IDF soldiers are the ones who stand against antisemitism and its modern manifestations, adding that the Religious Zionist Party believes it is possible to combine Torah study with military service and is committed to demonstrating that the haredi public can do the same.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid addressed Goldknopf directly and said that his father wore a yellow star in the Budapest ghetto because there was no Jewish army to protect him, and that his grandfather wore one before being murdered in a concentration camp. Lapid accused Goldknopf of trivializing the Holocaust and undermining the sacrifices of IDF soldiers, calling the remarks harmful and deeply offensive.