After Knesset Dissolution Fails: Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf Resigns as Minister

Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf, head of Agudas Yisrael’s faction of the United Torah Judaism party, has officially resigned from his role as Israel’s Housing Minister. “Unfortunately, the bill to dissolve the Knesset was not approved in the plenum, and according to the publications, the understandings reached do not correspond to the clear summaries signed in the coalition agreement between us,” he wrote.

The opposition’s effort to dissolve the Knesset and call new elections failed late Wednesday night, as most of the Charedi parties unexpectedly voted against the proposal—except for Agudas Yisrael. In the aftermath, Goldknopf announced his resignation from the government.

Originally, all Charedi factions had planned to support the Knesset’s dissolution. However, Shas and Degel HaTorah reached a last-minute agreement that halted the bill during its preliminary reading, splitting the united front.

Now, following the ruling of the Chasidish Moetzes Gedolei Torah, Goldknopf has stepped down from the government and will return to his Knesset seat as a regular MK.

In his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and copied to members of the Moetzes, Goldknopf recalled: “As you know, on the 24th of Tevet 5783 (December 28, 2022), the coalition agreement was signed between the United Torah Judaism faction and the Likud faction, headed by you, for the purpose of forming the 37th government. As part of the agreement, it was agreed, among other things, that the status of yeshiva students would be regulated through an amendment to the Security Service Law.”

The agreement explicitly states: “In light of the importance that the Jewish people have given and give to Torah study throughout the generations, the enactment of a Basic Law: Torah Study, which states that Torah study is a fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people, will be completed by the time the budget for 2023 is passed. It is agreed that this heritage must be continued in the State of Israel. At the same time, by the time the budget for 2023 is passed, an amendment to the Security Service Law will be completed to regulate the status of yeshiva students with the consent of all coalition factions.”

The agreement further affirms: “The United Torah Judaism faction announces that this matter, which concerns it personally, should have been regulated from its perspective as a condition even before the formation of the government. However, out of awareness of the required procedures, it was determined that the enactment of the Basic Law: Torah Study and the amendment to the Security Service Law will be completed by the passage of the 2023 budget.”

Goldknopf went on to outline the sequence of events: “On June 10, 2024, the Knesset approved, at our request, the application of the law of continuity to the Security Service Law (regulating the status of yeshiva students), which has since begun a slow process of about 40 discussions in the Security Service Committee without formulating a text or principles towards final legislation.”

He added, “In December last year, in preparation for the budget, the United Torah Judaism faction announced its decision to intensify its measures against the coalition and the Prime Minister, in order to accelerate the discussions leading up to the regulation of the legislation. For this reason, we opposed the Locked Profits Law, which was approved by the Knesset on December 31, 2024. The Prime Minister then promised that the draft of the draft law would be submitted within ten days and that the draft law would be approved by the time the budget was approved, but this was not done despite the Prime Minister’s promise.”

Goldknopf further wrote, “In preparation for the approval of the state budget for 2025, the spiritual leadership of the United Torah Judaism faction met and agreed: that without progress by Shavuos, significant steps will be taken against the coalition and the government. It should be emphasized that the summary of this meeting was presented to you in real time.”

“Despite the repeated warnings I made at government meetings, the coalition leaders’ forum, and in personal meetings, not a single agreement indicating progress has been reached in formulating an arrangement for the status of Torah scholars. As a result, members of the Moetzes Gedolei Torah of Agudas Yisrael and Degel HaTorah decided to instruct support for the law to dissolve the Knesset when it comes up for a vote.”

“Following the pressure we exerted and our moral stance on the principles I listed above, only in recent days have the relevant parties entered the thick of the matter, as was expected to happen long ago, in accordance with the coalition commitment, but unfortunately the bill to dissolve the Knesset was not approved tonight in the plenary, and according to various publications, the understandings reached do not correspond to the clear summaries signed in the coalition agreement between us (as detailed above), and therefore I can no longer take part as a member of this government.”

“Therefore, in accordance with Section 22(a) of the Basic Law: The Government, I hereby announce my resignation from the position of Minister of Construction and Housing in order to return to serve as a member of Knesset pursuant to Section 42C(c) of the Basic Law: The Knesset.”