by Eliav Breuer
A replacement for Edelstein on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee may be willing to make concessions that Edelstein was not willing to make, thus allowing the bill to proceed.
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Coalition whip and Likud Knesset faction leader Ofir Katz announced on Monday that the party’s MKs will convene on Wednesday in order to elect a replacement for MK Yuli Edelstein as chairperson of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reportedly been deliberating over whether to replace Edelstein, following the fallout last week between the committee’s chair and haredi (ultra-Orthodox) politicians that led to the United Torah Judaism and Shas parties to exit the government.
The fallout stemmed from the terms in a bill aimed at regulating haredi service in the IDF. Ultra-Orthodox politicians opposed Edelstein’s attempts to insert enforcement and oversight mechanisms to ensure that haredim who receive an exemption from IDF service were actually studying in yeshiva.
The MK who replaces Edelstein may be willing to make concessions that Edelstein was unwilling to, thus allowing the bill to proceed.
According to Katz’s announcement, Likud MKs who wish to run for the position must submit their names by Tuesday at 8 p.m., and the vote will be held on Wednesday. Katz did not say whether the ballot would be public or secret.
Milwidsky is not a permanent member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and would need to first replace one of the existing members before becoming chairperson. Edelstein himself will also run for the position, his spokesperson confirmed.
The announcement drew criticism from several politicians and NGOs, who claimed that the move was intended to eventually exempt a majority of haredim from military service.
Yair Lapid threatens opposition FADC members will resign if Edelstein replaced
Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid announced on Monday afternoon that if Edelstein is replaced, the opposition’s MKs in the committee will resign in protest. This would not affect the legislative procedure, but would “send a message” that the committee “no longer dealt with foreign affairs and security but with draft evasion,” Lapid said.Evoking a famous quote by first Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion, Lapid added that “every Hebrew mother should know that Benjamin Netanyahu is selling her children to the haredim, compromising all of our security, and the very idea of equality before the law.”
Former MK and IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, who served as a committee member until resigning approximately three weeks ago, said in a statement that “the intention to dismiss Edelstein and appoint a puppet on behalf of Netanyahu is a continuation of the prime minister’s cynicism and irresponsibility.”
“He is responsible for the greatest failure since the establishment of the state,” Eisenkot continued, “all in the name of political survival – damaging the IDF as the people’s army and undermining the Knesset as the legislative authority.”
“Over the past three years, I have served as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and of the Subcommittee for Intelligence and Secret Services. On some issues, I disagreed with Edelstein. However, I witnessed responsible, professional, and statesmanlike leadership aimed at advancing national security,” he said.
“Coalition members, stop being silent. It is time for basic civic behavior and to put an end to Netanyahu’s reckless manipulations,” Eisenkot added.
“While our fighters risk their lives in combat across all fronts, he continues his political juggling at the expense of national security for his own personal and political survival,” he said.
Edelstein was not the first official to be removed from his position due to his insistence on haredi IDF service.
In early June, Netanyahu admitted in a conversation with an unnamed senior rabbi (a recording of which was leaked to Channel 13) that former defense minister Yoav Gallant and former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi were “enormous obstacles that we removed... to advance” a draft bill acceptable to the haredi factions in the coalition.”
“You know, when the defense minister is against you and the chief of staff is against you, you cannot move – now we can move,” Netanyahu was heard saying.
The prime minister fired Gallant in November, and Halevi announced his resignation in January, following pressure to do so.
Eliav Breuer
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-861738
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