Shas minister: Netanyahu will need to hold elections right after the war

"At the end of the war, [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu will be forced to go to elections within 90 days," Labor Minister Yoav Ben Tzur (Shas) told Maariv on Thursday.

"[An election] will be before an investigative committee of one kind or another—this is my opinion," he said. "The prime minister himself will initiate the elections. We cannot continue like this any longer. The public will have its say and then we will see if Netanyahu receives the mandate.

"Decency requires that after such a terrible event, the public must have its say. The government will not be able to continue functioning in the current situation. Everyone takes responsibility for what happened. I, as a minister in the government, also take responsibility."

Regarding his position in the heated debate on the issue of coalition funds, he added that they "are intended to equalize the conditions of Torah education to the state network of schools. After many years, it was also decided to implement the Ofek Hadash [New Horizon educational reform plan] here," Ben Tzur said.

"In the Shas Maayan HaHinuch [Fountain of Education] network, we are talking about the allocation of NIS 150 million ($39 m., out of NIS 300 million), and in total, we are talking about NIS 1.1 billion ($288 million), including 2024. I don't understand why they call it coalition money. The payment had to be part of the base of the budget."

'Haredim who think they can contribute should enlist' 

Ben Tzur additionally spoke about the increase in ultra-Orthodox Jews choosing to enlist in the IDF in light of the war, saying "A haredi person who thinks he can contribute to the army in places he can afford to, let him enlist. I'm not talking about those who sit down to study the Torah, who contribute in their way to the salvation of the people of Israel. But I'm against the phenomenon of people just sitting around doing nothing.

"The war brought about a change in the attitudes of the ultra-Orthodox public and the general public," he said. "Look at the size of the division a month and a half ago and [compare it to] what is happening now among the people of Israel."

"This is an extraordinary mobilization that symbolizes the true character of the people," Ben Tzur said. "What was in the past is dead—and I hope that we can maintain unity in the future as well."

Ben Tzur later retracted his statements, saying that his comments to Maariv were "taken out of context."

"In response to the regular question about Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's responsibility, I wanted to say that this is not the time to deal with this and that after the war, Netanyahu himself will lead the investigation," said the minister. "In any case, these things do not at all represent the position of the Shas movement, which is determined by the Council of Sages and is presented by the chairman of the movement only. In war, you don't talk about politics and I made a mistake in my judgment."

Likud MK attacks Ben Tzur: 'Zero loyalty to the government'

Likud MK Tally Gotliv attacked Ben Tzur for his comments, saying that the minister had "zero loyalty to the government."

"Who needs an opposition when there is [Labor] Minister Yoav Ben Tzur of Shas who makes it clear that Netanyahu needs to go to the elections within 90 days..Zero loyalty to the government and zero loyalty to the necessity of transmitting resilience to the people of Israel. Ben Tzur, you should memorize the words of the sages on the wisdom of silence! It's true you apologized, but how can I say, I was not impressed."

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.