Degel HaTorah MK Uri Maklev said Thursday that his party was not responsible for the collapse of the latest effort to advance legislation regulating the status of yeshiva students, insisting that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu simply could not guarantee the votes needed to pass the measure.
In a wide-ranging interview with Avi Blum on Kol Chai’s main news program, Maklev addressed the proposed Basic Law on Torah Study, the arrests of yeshiva bochurim, relations with the Prime Minister, and the recent political battle over legislation concerning Torah learners.
Maklev offered his account of the events that led to the shelving of the legislation. According to him, Degel HaTorah never opposed the bill itself and never instructed Netanyahu not to bring it forward. Rather, he said, the process stalled because the Prime Minister was unable to demonstrate that he had a coalition majority to approve it.
“No one stood at the door and told him not to submit it,” Maklev said. “Did anyone tell him not to bring the bill to committee? If he wanted to move forward, he should have submitted it and advanced the process.”
Maklev explained that once it became clear Netanyahu could not provide assurances that the legislation would pass, the party’s rabbinic leadership instructed Degel HaTorah to distance itself from the coalition bloc and refuse to rely on future promises.
“The Gedolei Torah asked one simple question: Is there a commitment that a majority exists for this law, and is the Prime Minister prepared to guarantee that majority? The answer that came back after two days was that there was no such commitment and that significant difficulties remained in securing enough support.”
According to Maklev, Likud later suggested applying legislative continuity to the proposal and advancing it in the next Knesset, hoping a different coalition makeup would improve its chances. Degel HaTorah, however, viewed that as insufficient.
“We saw that perhaps there was a desire within Likud to continue business as usual and live on promises,” he said. “That is what led to the declaration that we are no longer committed to the bloc.”
Asked about reports that Netanyahu later renewed his willingness to promote the legislation but was rebuffed by Degel HaTorah, Maklev rejected that characterization.
According to him, even during the second round of discussions, Netanyahu did not provide a concrete commitment that the bill would pass, offering only optimism that support would materialize as the process moved forward.
“He came and said, ‘In the end there will be a majority, but there has to be a dynamic process,’” Maklev recounted. “There was no clear commitment. Ultimately, it was impossible to move forward with legislation based on statements like that.”
Blum pressed Maklev, suggesting that the party did not oppose the bill itself but simply never received assurance that it could actually be passed.
“Yes,” Maklev replied. “That is exactly the issue.”
He added that had Netanyahu formally submitted and advanced the legislation, Degel HaTorah would not have blocked it.
“We were not authorized to give anything in exchange for promises. He could have acted. No one told him not to submit the bill.”
Turning to the proposed Basic Law on Torah Study, Maklev acknowledged that the measure does not address the immediate fears facing yeshiva students and avreichim who worry about arrests and economic sanctions.
“That concern is constantly before us,” he said. “We have not taken our minds off the fear, the reality, the economic decrees, and the severe restrictions.”
Nevertheless, he argued that formal recognition of the value of Torah study carries both public and legal significance, even if it does not replace comprehensive legislation regulating the status of Torah learners.
“At a time when bnei Torah and the chareidi public are being targeted, maligned, and attacked, the very act of elevating the importance of Torah study is significant,” he said. “There is value in ensuring that recognition is reflected in legislation as well.”
Maklev emphasized that his priority remains comprehensive legal protections for yeshiva students and avreichim. He even expressed discomfort with the term “draft law,” preferring instead to call it a “regulation law.”
“The Basic Law on Torah Study was meant to be one component of broader legislation recognizing and regulating the status of Torah learners,” he explained. “Of course, the primary goal should have been the regulation itself.”
He said the intention remains to advance the Basic Law through all three Knesset readings rather than settling for preliminary approval. Maklev added that he recently consulted a legal expert involved in drafting the proposal years ago, who advised continuing to pursue it despite the current legal climate.
Addressing recent meetings between Prime Minister Netanyahu and UTJ chairman Moshe Gafni, Maklev insisted that Degel HaTorah has not restored its political commitment to the coalition bloc.
According to him, the party has deliberately avoided public meetings that could be used to create the impression of reconciliation or a return to full political partnership. Requests for highly publicized meetings, he said, were not approved by the Gedolei Torah.
At the same time, Maklev stressed that routine working relationships with the Prime Minister and government ministries continue because the chareidi public requires assistance on a wide range of daily issues.
“We have much work to do in the various ministries, in education, welfare, and many other areas,” he said. “These are working meetings and nothing more. We received instructions, and we are acting accordingly.”
He emphasized that meeting with Netanyahu should not be interpreted as a renewed political commitment to the coalition or any decision regarding future governments.
Reflecting on the lengthy negotiations over the legislation, Maklev said he remained involved because even a small chance of securing protections for Torah learners justified continued efforts.
“The price being paid by those who study Torah is simply too high,” he said. “That is why we could not abandon the process as long as there was still hope. But once it became clear that no real commitment existed to pass the law, we could no longer rely on vague assurances.”
Maklev argued that the episode demonstrates that Degel HaTorah did not derail the legislation. Rather, he said, the proposal collapsed because Netanyahu and the coalition failed to secure a workable majority.
“If they had placed a bill on the table and guaranteed its passage, Degel HaTorah would not have stood in its way,” he said.
Maklev also took aim at the Religious Zionist camp, arguing that it has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years.
“Religious Zionism has gone through a major upheaval, and they need to recover from it,” he said. “Most of the opposition, even within Likud, comes from people influenced by Religious Zionism. Edelstein, Illouz, Saada, Tur-Paz, Stern—look where they have ended up. Tur-Paz has been holding meetings against the chareidi public for years. There is no precedent for this.”
Commenting on the removal of MK Moshe Solomon from Knesset committees, Maklev delivered one of the interview’s sharpest remarks.
“There was no need for much explanation as to why he was removed from committee assignments,” he said. “Anyone who betrays Torah will ultimately betray his party as well. Everything they are saying about us today, they will eventually say about you. They incited them against the Torah world, and they were influenced by it.”
{Matzav.com}
