New Draft of the Conscription Law Lifts Chareidi Spirits
A sudden wave of optimism swept through the chareidi political parties this week as discussions on the latest draft of the conscription law began. After months of tension, harsh rhetoric, and political pressure, senior leaders Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni were seen moving through the Knesset noticeably relaxed and smiling — a stark contrast to their somber demeanor in recent months.
Deri appeared especially confident. After successfully neutralizing the campaign accusing him of caving on the draft issue — and pulling Degel HaTorah deep into the negotiations so he would not be left alone bearing the political cost — he projected certainty at every turn. Anyone who hinted that elections were looming received the same crisp response: there are no elections on the horizon. From Deri’s perspective, the conscription bill is back on track, and the coalition is stable enough to run its full course. Even issues long stuck in limbo, such as funding for food vouchers, have returned to his desk.
At the same time, Gafni has allowed himself to quietly envision a return to his longtime power base — the chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee — the position from which he has effectively shaped major parts of Israeli governance for nearly 30 years. The two leaders, once cornered by public backlash, are now walking through the building with the buoyancy of politicians who believe the tide has turned in their favor.
Within the chareidi factions, plans for a structured return to the coalition are already taking shape. Step one: lifting their voting boycott in the plenum, potentially as early as next week. Step two: reclaiming parliamentary posts — particularly committee chairmanships — perhaps within two weeks. Step three: once the law is formally passed, a full return to the ministries and the coalition leadership table.
The breakthrough came with the draft law published yesterday, which ended months of internal chareidi debate. The core dispute centered on whether to accept, for the first time, legislation that includes enlistment targets and sanctions. One camp argued this was the lesser of evils — a way to secure the status of the yeshiva world for the foreseeable future. The opposing camp warned that once the chareidi parties agree to any form of benchmarks, it would set a dangerous and irreversible precedent.
But the political reality played out differently. As one insider put it, “the genie went back into the bottle.” The Bismuth draft — unveiled this week — marks a dramatic retreat from the far tougher “pre-Iran war” outline. Although the chareidi parties had previously agreed to a certain threshold, they nevertheless succeeded in rolling back the framework significantly, and did so in a period of intense public scrutiny. The lesson was clear: in Israeli politics, strength is everything. If the coalition needs you badly enough, previous agreements can be undone. You simply say: Yes, we agreed — but we are withdrawing that agreement. If that is unacceptable, deal with the fallout.
This is essentially what happened once Boaz Bismuth was appointed chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The chareidi parties promptly demanded that the “Iran outline” be reopened. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office attempted to stop it — explaining, persuading, calming — but ultimately failed. In the power struggle between the Prime Minister’s Office and Shas and Degel HaTorah, the PMO lost. The outline was reopened, softened, and pushed several steps backward.
Still, it must be noted: for the first time in chareidi political history, at the instruction of the gedolei hador, Maran Rav Dov Landau and Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, the community has agreed to legislation that includes enlistment targets and related enforcement mechanisms — provisions that would have been considered unthinkable only a short time ago. However, most understand that this is likely just to kick the can down the road, as most of these targets and quotas will likely never come to fruition.
For chareidi politicians who spent months on the defensive, this week felt like a turning point — one that brought with it something they haven’t experienced in quite some time: smiles.
{Matzav.com}
