Defense Ministry backs 90-freeze on haredi draft evader arrests as Israel faces coalition crisis

MKs Gafni and Deri stated that the prime minister had “made it clear at the meeting that he is committed to approving the laws and will work to advance them quickly.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday called to advance a proposal that would temporarily freeze the arrests of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft evaders, as he urged Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chair Boaz Bismuth (Likud) in a letter to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the matter.

The outline of the proposal to freeze arrests of draft evaders was later released by Bismuth in the afternoon.

Katz’s request to advance the legislation came after a letter from Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs outlining the government’s stance.

Fuchs argued that arresting yeshiva students who evade military service has undermined efforts to encourage broader enlistment among haredi men.

In Katz’s response, he stated that following the letter sent by Fuchs at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s discretion, the temporary provision to freeze the arrest of draft evaders should include various sections,such as defining who is a yeshiva student, along with other conditions.

Bismuth responded to Katz that he will convene the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee this week in the Knesset to advance the proposal.

Bismuth also referenced Fuchs’s letter and claimed that the arrests of draft evaders “create the opposite effect from what is desired and keep young haredim away from service tracks.”

What is in haredi draft proposal?

The proposal that was later released contains a section stipulating that from the decided date of commencement until the end of 90 days, “no arrest, investigation or enforcement proceedings will be taken for failure to fulfill the obligation to report under the law against a person designated for security service.”

The proposal is part of a series of bills recently being pushed by the haredi parties – Shas and United Torah Judaism. Among the most contentious of the bills being advanced is one that seeks to enshrine Torah study in the country’s Basic Law.

Israel does not have a constitution, and instead has a series of Knesset-legislated basic laws on various subjects that hold a high legal status.

Marathon meetings in the Knesset’s House Committee to fast-track the Basic Law: Torah Study legislation have been scheduled for this week, with the first one taking place on Sunday from the morning into the afternoon.

Leader of the Degel Hatorah faction, MK Moshe Gafni, argued in favor of the legislation in the committee on Sunday. He told the panel that “Throughout the entire history of the Jewish people, it is the study of Torah that has preserved us.”

“The time has come, even if long overdue, for the State of Israel, as a Jewish state, to grant Torah study its proper status and recognize it as a supreme value,” he added.

United Torah Judaism leader MK Yitzhak Goldknopf argued that draft evaders were from Tel Aviv rather than focusing on the haredi community, sparking outrage among opposition lawmakers at the meeting. MK Meirav Cohen (Yesh Atid) responded sharply, telling Goldknopf, “Thank you for the slap in the face.”

“We understand that there’s no one to work with on the other side, there’s no point waiting for agreements with you anymore,” she added.

The bill seeks to enshrine Torah study in the country’s Basic Law as part of a proposal that critics argue encourages draft evasion and changes the status of yeshiva students who do not serve, enabling them to continue receiving state benefits. The explanatory notes also state that the legislation seeks to address the High Court of Justice ruling aimed at drafting haredim who evade service.

Haredi draft evaders arrest freeze sparks Knesset tension

MK Dan Illouz, a member of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, has been a vocal critic of the legislation, vowing to vote against it.

Illouz told the panel that, “the coalition I am a member of is spitting in the face of the public we are supposed to represent.”

“This is a desecration of God’s name. The purpose of the law is to continue granting benefits to those who do not enlist, under the claim that they are studying Torah,” he added.

Two additional meetings on the Basic Law: Torah Study bill have been set for Monday and Tuesday.

Opposition coordinator Merav Ben-Ari (Yesh Atid) sent a letter to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud) on Thursday, in which she argued that the lawmakers did not have enough time to prepare in advance for so many discussions.

The haredi parties had boycotted coalition voting, stating that they would not cooperate with Netanyahu’s coalition until there was advancement with the legislation they have been pushing for.

On Tuesday, Gafni and Shas party leader Arye Deri released a joint statement saying they had met with Netanyahu.

The two stated that the prime minister had “made it clear at the meeting that he is committed to approving the laws and will work to advance them quickly.”

There had previously been contentious wording in the bill’s proposal that equated those who study Torah with those who serve in the IDF, which has now been removed in the new draft of the legislation.

Critics argue that the implications of the legislation would still grant sweeping state benefits to draft evaders, despite the change of wording.

The wording in the new proposal focuses on Torah study as being “a fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel.”

The bill passed its preliminary reading earlier this month and must still be advanced in a Knesset committee before undergoing three more required readings in order to come into effect.

In a controversial move last week, the legislation was approved to be moved to the Knesset’s House Committee for advancement, rather than to the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, which is led by MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party).

Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik warned against moving the legislation to the House Committee, stating that the legal advisory position is that the bill should be discussed in the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee.

On Thursday, she sent out an additional letter calling for special care to be taken regarding the procedure of advancing the legislation.

There have been reports that Rothman’s decision not to advance the bill in his committee was part of an attempt by his Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to distance itself from the contentious legislation.

The House Committee, in contrast, is led by coalition whip MK Ofir Katz, a member of the Likud party.

The haredi parties have encouraged the coalition to advance legislation that would not increase haredi enlistment. The IDF has repeatedly warned of an urgent manpower shortage after more than two years of war.

In April, the High Court of Justice ordered that the state take concrete steps to revoke key financial benefits from draft evaders and to move toward criminal enforcement against haredi men who evade military service.

In March, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the IDF could soon collapse if no solution was found for the manpower shortage.

The tensions also come amid the coalition’s last Knesset session to advance its legislation before the upcoming elections, scheduled for no later than October 27.