Goldknopf Breaks Silence: “What Do You Want From These Poor Yeshiva Boys? Let Them Live”
In a rare and explosive interview, MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, leader of the United Torah Judaism party, sharply criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu’s handling of the draft law crisis, threatened political consequences, and warned the IDF: "If you arrest yeshiva students, the country won’t rest."
Twitter
After a long silence, MK Yitzhak Goldknopf is done holding back. In a candid studio interview, the leader of United Torah Judaism slammed the government’s handling of the Haredi draft crisis and described the deep erosion of trust between the Haredi parties and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I kept silent because I wanted things to move forward quietly,” he said. “I truly believed we could pass a draft law with broad agreement - but I was wrong.”
The Coalition That Never Delivered
Goldknopf described how, during initial coalition talks, he demanded a clear and binding commitment on the draft law.
“I told the Rebbe from Gur that we had a promise from Netanyahu. He asked me, ‘What’s the collateral?’ So I went to Bibi and asked him directly. He offered me another ministerial post and said the doors to his office would always be open. That was supposed to be our guarantee. But in the end, they gave us words - floating in the air.”
He says promises were repeated for months.
“I was told: ‘October 15, 2023 - there will be a law.’ A year and a half later, still nothing. They told us to wait, to trust, to be patient. In the end? We got zero.”
No Draft Law = No Government
Goldknopf says that if the Prime Minister doesn’t deliver a clear, unconditional exemption for yeshiva students, Haredi parties won’t sit in any future government.
“No quotas. No sanctions. That’s the red line. If Netanyahu insists on it - he can forget about our support. We have no future in a government that doesn’t recognize our existence.”
He added that promises during the judicial reform campaign also amounted to nothing:
“They said: support this reform, and we’ll pass a Basic Law for Torah Study. They told us: ‘It’s for you.’ So we supported them—and got nothing in return.”
“Let Us Live”
In one of the most emotional moments in the interview, Goldknopf exclaimed:
“What do you want from these poor boys? Just because they learn Torah? Until now, the world looked at Israel. Now the whole country is staring at 15% of the population—the Haredim. What do you want from us? Let us live!”
“There are no sanctions in any other law in Israel. Why here? Why punish Torah learners? Why hit the weak? Why cut daycare funding, yeshiva budgets, housing aid? Even the elderly—soon you’ll say that if their grandson didn’t enlist, they can’t enter a nursing home.”
Warning to the Army
Goldknopf issued a veiled threat to the IDF and the Attorney General, who announced a wave of arrests of draft-dodging yeshiva students:
“If they try it - if they start arresting Torah learners—this state will not be quiet. I’m not talking about blood or violence, but the calm will be over. The state will shake.”
Responding to Yair Netanyahu
Goldknopf dismissed Yair Netanyahu’s tweet after his resignation - claiming he “sold the Negev to the Arabs.”
“You want me to respond to the Prime Minister’s grandson? The boy sits abroad and tweets nonsense. He doesn’t know what goes on in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
On the Wedding Video
Responding to the viral clip of Goldknopf at a wedding where guests sang “We’ll die before we enlist,” he clarified:
“I wasn’t dancing. They danced around me, against me. They tried to provoke. And the media? Instead of defending my dignity, you poured oil on the fire.”
Final Word
“If Netanyahu wants a draft law - he can pass it. But I don’t believe him anymore. I moved my faith elsewhere. Now, I only believe in G-d.”
Goldknopf’s message to Israel’s political establishment is crystal clear: without a full exemption for yeshiva students - there will be no coalition, no compromise, and no calm.