Government and Charedi Parties Fail to Come to Agreement About Draft Before Deadline

By Hamodia Staff

Despite extensive talks over the past few weeks aimed at reaching an agreement concerning the attempt to draft yeshiva students to the IDF, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of the Charedi parties in Israel failed to reach an acceptable compromise that would have the backing from Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Throughout the discussions, the Charedi parties would not commit to a specific quota of annual draftees nor to sanctions for those who do not comply. Baharav-Miara claims that without numbers and sanctions, it would be hopeless for her to attempt to defend the bill before the High Court of Justice.

The hopes of reaching an agreement was aimed to beat the midnight deadline set by the court and to request an extension to allow the government several months to pass it into law.

Meanwhile, numerous IDF commanders in the reserves signed letter warning that the proposals for the draft bill would deepen the feelings of inequality amongst Israelis, Times of Israel reported.

Dozens of commanders in the IDF reserves sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other senior officials warning that the current proposal for an ultra-Orthodox draft bill will deepen inequality in Israel. In addition, it claimed that the result of such an agreement would harm Israeli security, since it would require the IDF to lengthen time for current conscripts and reserves serving in the IDF while allowing many Charedi yeshiva students an exemption from military service.

Last year, the latest law which allowed yeshiva students to push off their military service until they reached the age of exemption expired, forcing the government to legislate a new one.

As the deadline to pass the new law neared, the government was to meet to consider a draft of a bill on Tuesday, but the meeting was pushed off after Netanyahu made changes to the draft.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant strenuously objected to the original plan, and Netanyahu was forced to postpone the cabinet discussion and carry on talks within his coalition partners concerning the controversial reform.

Senior Finance Ministry officials also opposed the lack of personal financial sanctions, saying it would be ineffective to persuade yeshiva students to join the IDF. Kan reported that the officials maintained that penalties levied on the yeshivos would not be effective, and only penalties levied on individuals who fail to enlist would have the desired effect.

Netanyahu released an amended version of the draft text on Monday, which set the age of exemption at 35, and failed to place personal financial sanctions on individuals. It included a plan to set up special ultra-Orthodox battalions in the IDF, and add Charedi positions in the country’s emergency services and government offices.

Besides the objections of Baharav-Miara, Gallant released a statement on Sunday stating that he would not support it, and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz threatened to leave the emergency government if the legislation passed.