Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is accelerating efforts to pass the contentious chareidi draft law, pressing ahead despite growing backlash from reservist groups, public criticism, and mounting opposition within the security establishment.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Yuli Edelstein is spearheading a rapid legislative campaign aimed at passing the draft bill before the Knesset’s summer session concludes in three weeks. Edelstein is expected to present the proposed legislation to chareidi party representatives within hours and to the general public early next week. Simultaneously, the committee will begin intensive discussions in an effort to meet the tight timeline.
Reservist organizations are voicing strong opposition, warning that the proposed law undermines the IDF’s combat readiness. Critics argue that the bill offers benefits and exemptions long before a single chareidi soldier is drafted. “Either promote a fair and equitable law—or don’t promote any law at all,” they say.
Tensions boiled over during Defense Minister Yisroel Katz’s recent visit to the Gaza border, where a senior reservist officer confronted him directly: “Don’t count on us being able to show up for another 500 days.”
Dissent is also mounting within the defense establishment. A senior official warned, “The chareidim are trying to demoralize the system. We cannot allow a situation where the state incentivizes yeshiva study instead of military service.”
Meanwhile, the chareidi factions have reinstated their boycott on private-member legislation, vowing not to participate in votes until a mutually agreed-upon draft bill is presented.
{Matzav.com Israel}