Israel is bracing for a political showdown over the new draft law, as Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has instructed the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee—led by MK Boaz Bismuth—to begin a marathon of deliberations this week on the proposal that would formally define the status of yeshiva students and shape the future of military conscription.
The coalition’s goal is ambitious: to pass the bill through its second and third readings in the Knesset plenum within just six weeks. To reach that target, the coming days will feature three separate committee sessions aimed at finalizing the legislation.
But even within the coalition, cracks are emerging. Senior coalition members—including Yuli Edelstein and Sharren Haskel—have already begun quietly rallying internal opposition that could block the bill from securing a majority when it reaches the floor.
In response, senior figures in the charedi parties have turned to an unusual strategy: engaging in discreet conversations with Arab party leaders, hoping they will simply skip the vote and effectively lower the threshold for the law’s passage. Thus far, however, Arab factions have rejected the idea, making clear that their top priority is bringing down the Netanyahu government rather than helping it pass critical legislation.
MK Boaz Bismuth announced last night that the committee has already made substantial revisions to the legislation. “I worked over the past weeks on the draft of the enlistment law in full cooperation with the legal advisers of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee under my leadership. I made several changes in order to fully meet legal requirements and prevent any future legal risk,” he said.
He defended the bill as balanced and pragmatic. “This is a responsible law that creates equilibrium between the needs of the IDF and the preservation of the Torah world, and restores stability to the State of Israel.” Bismuth added confidently, “The train has already left the station, and it will not stop until the law is approved in the Knesset plenum!”
The controversy has also triggered objections from unexpected quarters. Tzachi Hanegbi, the former National Security Council chief who was recently dismissed, sharply condemned the current version of the bill. “The burden still falls on the shoulders of relatively few. The IDF needs thousands more combat soldiers, certainly in light of the most recent war and its consequences. The proposed law, as published, does not advance this goal, it legitimizes draft-dodging and endangers the state’s future,” he said.
Hanegbi emphasized that supporting Torah study does not contradict national defense. “The Torah has preserved Israel throughout the generations, and Torah learning is precious to the Jewish people. It must be combined with the value of defending the state and its citizens,” he said.
He concluded by warning that the government cannot afford to delay. “Many years in the Cabinet, in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and in the National Security Council taught me that the IDF knows how to integrate these two values successfully. Now the government and the Knesset must ensure this without any further postponements.”
{Matzav.com}
