Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett on Monday night delivered a televised statement laying out what he described as a comprehensive solution to Israel’s draft crisis, once again focusing his political message squarely on the chareidi sector while declaring his intention to form the next government.
Speaking at a press conference broadcast live, Bennett — who is seeking a return to politics under the banner of a new framework dubbed “Bennett 2026” — said that his first move upon returning to the Prime Minister’s Office would be to repeal what he called the current government’s “draft evasion law.”
Bennett said he intends to replace it with legislation he is calling the “Law of Those Who Serve,” presenting it as the cornerstone of his next coalition. “From today, those who serve will be at the top of the pyramid and those who evade will be at the bottom,” Bennett said, adding that support for the bill would be a prerequisite for joining a government under his leadership. “Support for the Law of Those Who Serve is the first condition for entering a government I head. This is the flagship law of the next government.”
In his remarks, Bennett accused the current leadership of creating a moral and social injustice. “The people of Israel are witnessing a terrible injustice,” he said. “With one hand, the government issues 280,000 reserve duty call-up orders, shattering families and careers, and with the other hand it transfers tens of billions of shekels to healthy young men who choose to evade service in the IDF.”
“There is no greater chillul Hashem than this,” Bennett continued. “They talk about a yellow badge?! We enlist so that we have a strong IDF, in a strong Jewish state, so that no Jew will ever again wear a yellow badge.”
Bennett said his proposed law would fundamentally reverse Israel’s social and economic priorities. “Tonight I announce: the Israeli pyramid is being turned upside down,” he said. “I present to you the law that will shape the State of Israel for decades to come: the Law of Those Who Serve. The answer to this government’s disgraceful draft evasion law is the Law of Those Who Serve. From today — those who serve at the top, and those who choose to evade — at the bottom.”
Detailing the plan, Bennett said his proposal would divert 25 billion shekels currently allocated to what he described as draft evaders and coalition funds and transfer the entire sum to those who serve. He outlined a three-tier system.
At the top, Bennett placed active reserve soldiers. “Every active reservist will receive a grant of one million shekels toward a first home,” he said. He added that reservists would receive free daycare from birth to age three for all children, as well as a permanent 50 percent discount on electricity, water, and municipal taxes as long as they continue reserve service. “These aren’t perks,” Bennett said. “It’s a game-changer that changes your life. You fight for the home — you’ll get a home.”
The second tier, according to Bennett, would include those who completed full mandatory service. He said they would be entitled to “a massive boost at the start of life,” including a free undergraduate degree for all veterans, not only combat soldiers, a free master’s degree for combat troops, five years of free public transportation after discharge, and a monthly subsidy of 1,000 shekels per child for daycare from birth to age three.
“At the third, bottom level,” Bennett said, “those who choose not to serve simply do not receive.” He argued that this structure would “turn the pyramid in Israel.”
Bennett insisted the funding already exists. “This money exists,” he said. “I built the Law of Those Who Serve with people who were in the Budget Division and the Housing Ministry, and they know exactly where these billions are right now. The Law of Those Who Serve moves those billions to the right place — to you.”
He claimed the move would unlock major economic growth. “Our move will free up more than 100 billion shekels in economic output that is currently being burned because of the draft evasion mechanism,” Bennett said. “We are reshaping the state.”
Responding to comparisons between current policies and frameworks proposed during his own previous tenure, Bennett said critics were ignoring the impact of the October 7 massacre. “Anyone who compares the draft evasion law to the framework under a government I led ‘forgets’ one thing: the massacre of October 7,” he said. “But the people of Israel do not forget, and will not forget.”
Bennett concluded by arguing that his plan would transform Israeli society and even draw chareidi youth into military service. “The Law of Those Who Serve will change the structure of the Israeli economy for generations, and will save the economy and the serving public from inevitable collapse,” he said. “And you’ll see how this law brings masses of young chareidim to join us in the IDF. We have one home — we will defend it together.”
{Matzav.com}President Donald Trump shifted his attention westward on Tuesday, training his fire on California and Gov. Gavin Newsom just a day after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he would abandon his reelection campaign amid a growing fraud scandal in his state.
Reacting to Walz’s sudden decision to step aside, Trump used Truth Social to argue that Minnesota’s problems are not isolated, contending that corruption is even more deeply rooted in California. In one post, he declared that scrutiny has now expanded beyond the Midwest.
“California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun,” Trump wrote.
Walz, a Democrat who served as his party’s vice presidential nominee in 2024, said the political climate surrounding Minnesota’s child care fraud investigation had become untenable. He explained that the constant pressure made it impossible to balance governing the state with mounting a reelection campaign.
The outgoing governor dismissed the controversy as politically motivated, accusing Trump and Republican allies of exploiting the issue to turn Minnesota into what he described as “a colder, meaner place.” Republicans, however, have rejected that characterization, saying the allegations point to serious and systemic failures in oversight and governance.
Trump, in a separate Truth Social message responding to Walz’s withdrawal, escalated his accusations, charging that the Minnesota governor was “caught, redhanded” in what he described as a massive scheme involving “tens of billions of taxpayer dollars.” He added that Walz’s situation was emblematic of a broader pattern among Democratic leaders.
Trump extended that argument to California, asserting that Newsom and other Democratic governors have done “an even more dishonest and incompetent job,” while stressing, “No one is above the law!”
The president’s focus on California echoes long-standing conservative criticism that the state operates under lax oversight, spiraling costs, and entrenched bureaucratic waste, even as Sacramento seeks additional funding from taxpayers. Those claims were reinforced by a recent report from California’s nonpartisan state auditor, which placed Newsom’s administration and several major agencies under elevated “high-risk” scrutiny.
According to the auditor, chronic deficiencies span a wide range of systems, including public benefit programs, unemployment insurance, financial reporting, cybersecurity protections, and water infrastructure. The report warned that continued failures could saddle the state with billions of dollars in additional costs and pose serious public safety threats.
Among the most notable findings were a nearly 11% payment error rate in California’s CalFresh program, which the auditor said could expose the state to as much as $2.5 billion in losses by 2028 if left uncorrected. The review also identified roughly $1.5 billion in improper unemployment payments during 2023 and 2024, well after pandemic-era fraud had already shaken confidence in the system.
The assessment further cited weak financial controls that undermine transparency, cybersecurity vulnerabilities across multiple agencies, and concerns about dam infrastructure that could endanger lives and property if failures occur. Whistleblower probes detailed wasteful practices as well, including millions of dollars spent on state-issued mobile devices that were never used.
Trump has repeatedly argued that prolonged one-party Democratic control leads to expansive government with minimal accountability. Speaking recently aboard Air Force One, he pledged to tighten oversight, reestablish law-and-order standards within federal agencies, and protect taxpayers from what he described as being treated like an “endless ATM” for states that mismanage public funds.
{Matzav.com}
Dear Matzav Inbox,
I would like to share an observation regarding shidduchim that I believe many in the community have noticed. This is not meant for everyone, and certainly not for those who put real thought into the shidduchim they suggest.
At the same time, there are cases where shidduchim are suggested without enough thought, or without really knowing the boy or the girl. Often, the person suggesting the idea does not actually know either side at all. For example, they may know the boy’s mother and the girl’s grandmother, and based on that limited connection, the shidduch is suggested. While well-intentioned, this often does not lead anywhere.
Many of us see that some ideas are clearly way out of the ballpark. I have also heard people say they took on a kabbalah to suggest one shidduch a day. While the desire to help is admirable, shidduchim are not daf yomi, and not everything works with a daily quota.
Beyond that, when too many unrealistic ideas are suggested, it can take away from the value of more serious shidduchim. It also takes up time and energy that could be better spent checking into good, solid ideas that actually have potential.
Before presenting a shidduch to an already overwhelmed parent, perhaps it would help to make two or three phone calls to people who actually know both the boy and the girl. A little checking can save a lot of unnecessary information, phone calls, and follow-ups.
This is not meant to discourage good shidduchim. If someone truly has a solid, well-thought-out idea, they should not hesitate to suggest it. Even if a person is not completely sure, but has done some basic checking and others who know the situation also feel it is a reasonable idea, it is certainly appropriate to suggest the shidduch. The point is simply not to suggest shidduchim as a way of checking off an item on a to-do list.
Shidduchim involve real people and real lives. A bit more seichel and a bit less pressure to “have an idea” can only help everyone involved.
Thank you for providing a platform for this discussion.
Sincerely,
A concerned member of the community
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{Matzav.com}
