Incoming Shas MK Erez Malul has drawn an unequivocal red line ahead of the coalition negotiations expected after the elections, declaring that haredi parties will not join any government until the legal status of yeshiva students is anchored in binding legislation.
"We will not form a coalition and we will not enter any government until the status of yeshiva students is resolved once and for all through a fortified and robust law," Malul said in an interview with Radio Kol Chai.
Malul described the atmosphere in the Knesset as "the end of an era," noting that "inside the coalition, everyone is talking about dissolving the Knesset."
Commenting on the recent wave of arrests of yeshiva students, he said: "There is a wild persecution happening here. People in this country simply want to dismantle the Torah world - they don't care about the army or security; their sole objective is to ensure there are no Torah scholars here."
Commenting on the issue of economic sanctions, Malul added: "They think that if they suffocate the married yeshiva students financially, they will abandon the yeshivas and forget their identity. The tighter they squeeze, the louder the haredi public will cry out, and the more they will flock to the ballot boxes."