The long-simmering crisis over Israel’s proposed draft law has reached a boiling point. In a dramatic late-night meeting on Monday, the leaders of Degel HaTorah- HaGaon Rav Dov Landau shlit”a and HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a-declared that they will support a motion to dissolve the Knesset this Wednesday, potentially triggering new elections and threatening the survival of the current government. During an in-depth conversation between the two Gedolei Yisroel, it was determined that, in the absence of a finalized and acceptable version of the draft law, the chareidi parties have no reason to remain in the coalition. Rav Hirsch reportedly said, “If there is no progress on the law, we have no choice but to push for the dissolution of the Knesset.” Rav Landau was even more forceful, warning, “When those who learn Torah are persecuted—it is a greater danger than Iran.” Degel HaTorah stressed that if an acceptable draft of the law is presented and practical discussions begin in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the decision could be reconsidered. However, if no progress is made, Degel is expected to join Agudas Yisroel in supporting the dissolution bill on Wednesday. The Sephardic Shas party also signaled a shift in position. Party spokesman Asher Medina said Tuesday morning that Shas, too, would support dissolving the Knesset due to the stalemate over the draft legislation. Last week, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel formally announced its support for early elections. If no last-minute agreement is reached, the preliminary vote on the dissolution of the Knesset is expected to pass with a large majority. The bill would then move to the Knesset Committee, followed by additional procedures before final approval in second and third readings. Adding an international dimension to the crisis, Channel 13 News reported that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee personally reached out to Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. Huckabee reportedly warned that holding elections at this time—while the Iranian threat and Houthi aggression from Yemen dominate the security agenda—would make it significantly harder for Washington to back Israel in any major operations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)