Knesset Advances Shas Bill Repealing Kosher Reform as Ultra-Orthodox Parties Press 4 Demands
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 2
Knesset Advances Shas Bill Repealing Kosher Reform as Ultra-Orthodox Parties Press 4 Demands
2 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 2
Initial approval on Tuesday moved forward a Shas-backed bill to scrap former minister Matan Kahana’s kosher certification reform, giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu another concession to keep his religious bloc together.
Four main ultra-Orthodox demands are now on the coalition’s table — daycare subsidies, a Basic Law on Torah study, the kosher bill and a seat on the rabbinical judges committee — after they failed to secure draft exemptions for yeshiva students.
The pressure is spreading beyond kosher policy: a daycare bill meant to bypass a High Court halt on subsidies for draft dodgers passed a preliminary vote last week, and a Torah study Basic Law is expected to reach a first vote next week.
Coalition strains are deepening as Degel HaTorah and Shas compete to deliver gains to their voters, with Degel HaTorah also tying support for state comptroller candidate Michael Rabilo to a judicial committee appointment.
The mounting price of those concessions complicates Netanyahu’s push for an October election, even as he prioritizes preserving his right-wing and religious alliance.