Coalition Crisis: The Ultra-Orthodox Boycott the Party Leaders' Meeting
[96452] Coalition Crisis: The Ultra-Orthodox Boycott the Party Leaders' Meeting
The leaders of United Torah Judaism, Goldknopf and Gafni, decided to boycott the coalition leaders' meeting, which led to the immediate cancellation of the session.
Coalition Crisis: The Ultra-Orthodox Boycott the Party Leaders' Meeting
A political drama unfolded today (June 23, 2026), after the coalition party leaders' meeting was canceled following the announcement by United Torah Judaism chairmen, Yitzhak Goldknopf and Moshe Gafni, that they would not attend the discussion. According to ynet news, the decision led to the immediate cancellation of the planned meeting.
Against the backdrop of the dramatic step, Michael Shemesh reports that the United Torah Judaism faction realized that Prime Minister Netanyahu's goal in convening the meeting was to create a "show for the cameras" aimed at proving that the coalition bloc is solid. The faction clarified their position in a direct quote: "We will not participate in the show today".
At the same time, Ziv Rubinstein - Until the war ends adds that the Ultra-Orthodox received explicit instructions from Rabbi Landau not to attend the meeting. These sources also note that in United Torah Judaism, the meeting is perceived as a "show for the cameras" and nothing more, rather than a substantive political necessity.
As of now, it appears that the Ultra-Orthodox decision constitutes a blow to Netanyahu's attempts to project stability within the coalition, as Gafni and Goldknopf's refusal to participate in the forum is perceived as growing tension between the key partners in the government.