Haredi Leaders Withhold Netanyahu Loyalty Pledge

Reports say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Shas and United Torah Judaism leaders to pledge that they will remain in his right-wing bloc after the election. Shas chairman Aryeh Deri said there was no discussion without passing Basic Law: Torah Study and temporary legislation pausing arrests of yeshiva students; Moshe Gafni said Rabbi Dov Lando had ruled that there is no bloc for now. Agudat Yisrael representatives also told Netanyahu to pass the laws first. The exchange keeps coalition loyalty tied to Haredi parties' core demand to protect Torah study and yeshiva students before the Knesset's expected July 17 dissolution.