Former interior minister and Shas MK Moshe Arbel submitted his resignation from the Knesset on Sunday, citing “personal reasons” for his departure. He is expected to leave politics to chair Mehadrin, a company that grows and exports produce.
Former MK Erez Malul, who is next in line on the Shas party list, is expected to take Arbel’s place.
His resignation comes amid ongoing tensions between the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties – Shas and United Torah Judaism – and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the controversial haredi draft law, ahead of the expected vote on the Knesset dissolution bill.
Arbel penned a letter on Sunday to Shas party leader Arye Deri, in which he thanked him and other members of the party for their “trust and guidance over the years.”
Arbel also wrote that Deri had “analytical thinking, life wisdom, and endless dedication to the cause of all of Israel,” and thanked him for his “full support and firm stand alongside decisions he made during these significant years.”
He added that he will continue to act in the spirit of the Shas movement’s values even outside the Knesset, “out of an aspiration to work for the prosperity of the State of Israel and our holy movement, the Shas movement, and to work for the unity of the people and to sanctify the name of God.”
Deri, in return, praised Arbel for his service in the party, adding that he accepted his request to resign from the Knesset for the “personal reasons that he presented to me.”
Deri: Arbel willing to continue assisting our movement
“At the same time, he [Arbel] stated that he is willing to continue assisting the movement in any way required, and I hope to continue relying on him and assigning him tasks soon,” Deri added.
The Mehadrin company later announced that Arbel will join its board of directors, serving as chairman. The company is said to be the largest grower and exporter of citrus, as well as other fruits and vegetables. It has cold storage facilities, packing houses, and logistics centers in Israel and abroad.
“After years of significant public service, I am entering a new chapter. Mehadrin is a veteran Israeli company, connected to work, land, and Israeli agriculture,” Arbel said about his new role.
Arbel entered the Knesset in 2019 and has been involved in various legislative activities. He had served as both health and interior minister.
Arbel supported equal conscription to IDF
After the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023, Arbel advocated for haredi conscription to the IDF and was a supporter of universal military conscription for all.
Other haredi party leaders have pushed for haredim to be exempted from the IDF.
Arbel stated in 2023 that members of the ultra-Orthodox community who do not study Torah are not entitled to an exemption, and referred to religious individuals who try to evade service as “hitchhikers.”
“As someone who served in the army and in the reserves until I entered the Knesset... I want to say clearly that being ultra-Orthodox is not a reason to be exempt from military service,” he had said at the time.
The haredi draft bill being advanced in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is highly controversial. Critics argue that the legislation is primarily intended to appease the haredi parties in Netanyahu’s coalition and would not increase enlistment.
Several coalition lawmakers have stated that they oppose the bill’s current outline for that reason and would vote against it. The IDF has repeatedly warned of an urgent manpower shortage, especially after more than two years of war.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel (New Hope-United Right), a vocal critic of the legislation within the coalition, has pledged to vote against it.
Haskel told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that Arbel’s resignation could be correlated to the recent development that the contentious haredi draft bill is scheduled to be advanced again by the coalition this week.
“Moshe Arbel was one of the few who courageously said that wearing a black kippah is not a reason to be exempt from military service,” she told the Post. “He said reality has changed and that the haredi public must do some soul-searching.”
“When someone says those things so courageously within haredi society and then suddenly resigns two days before [the advancement of the bill], I have no doubt there’s a connection between the two,” Haskel added.
Haskel stated that there is “immense pressure” on Knesset members to support the coalition’s controversial draft law.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.