MK Moshe Solomon (Religious Zionist Party) on Monday night addressed the Knesset plenum on Monday night, speaking about the political price he says he paid for opposing the original versions of the Draft Law and the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study.
"I could have stayed silent and voted in favor, but I wasn't elected to the Knesset to be a rubber stamp," Solomon said. "For that position, I paid a political price, a personal price, and I was removed from Knesset committees."
"I paid a price because I acted according to my conscience. I did not oppose Torah study-I opposed the wording of the bill, and in the end the legislation was amended."
He added, "I'm not standing here to say, 'I told you so.' Unfortunately, no one came and said, 'We were wrong, and the criticism was justified.' Even within my own faction, no one has said that. I'm not saying this out of personal resentment. It is important that the political system be able to conduct substantive disagreements, and it is important that not everyone who thinks differently be immediately treated as an enemy."
Solomon added, "Even today, after the bill was changed, I am still being excluded from Knesset committees."
"This situation is unacceptable, not because it harms me personally, but because it sends a dangerous message to Knesset members: Anyone who dares to think independently will pay a price. I hope the Knesset will be a place that encourages independent thought, not one that punishes it."