The Degel HaTorah faction of the United Torah Judaism party held an “extraordinary” gathering at the Knesset in Yerushalayim on Wednesday. The discussion centered on the party’s stance regarding the upcoming 2025 state budget, as confirmed in an official statement.
The government is required to pass the budget by March 31; failure to do so would automatically trigger its collapse. MK Moshe Gafni, who heads Degel Hatorah, also serves as the chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, giving him significant influence over the budget’s progression through the legislative process.
This meeting carried particular weight as frustration has been growing among UTJ members in recent weeks. Many feel that the government has failed to uphold commitments related to financial allocations for the chareidi community, as well as the proposed exemption of yeshiva students from military service.
Tensions came to a boiling point on Tuesday night when UTJ leader Yitzchok Goldknopf, who also heads the Agudas Yisrael faction, opposed a government decision to designate around NIS 5 billion in the budget as “coalition funding.” Most of these funds were slated for chareidi institutions, yet Goldknopf cast his vote against the measure, while other chareidi ministers supported it.
Goldknopf is expected to step down from his role as housing minister before the final budget vote and subsequently oppose the budget. As a representative of Ger, his position reflects the chassidus’s firm stance that the conscription law must be passed before any budget approval.
While the vote on Tuesday suggested that the majority of UTJ will likely back the budget, Degel Hatorah’s position remains uncertain. A political insider noted that with several weeks remaining until the March 31 deadline, unexpected developments could still sway the faction’s decision. Ultimately, if there is no movement on the conscription bill, the faction’s spiritual leadership will likely determine how Degel Hatorah votes on the budget.
{Matzav.com Israel}