MK Yaakov Tesler of the Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism party voted on Monday with the opposition in the State Control Committee. The vote was on the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to examine the failures of October 7.
Tesler’s vote went directly against the official coalition position, which opposes the creation of the commission.
The State Control Committee has the authority to establish state commissions of inquiry, even if the government is opposed. Tesler’s vote represents a significant crack in coalition discipline during a sensitive period, with budget discussions and the draft law at the forefront.
This move signals a dramatic escalation in the coalition crisis. Until now, Agudat Yisrael had adopted a "quiet boycott" strategy, refraining from voting with the coalition and removing bills from the agenda. However, MK Tesler’s vote marks the crossing of a new red line.
For the first time since the start of the current draft crisis, a haredi bloc MK not only abstained from voting but actively chose to support an opposition proposal on one of the government’s most sensitive issues - the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7.