Pressure Mounts on Netanyahu as Edelstein Set to Present Recruitment Exemption Bill

Upcoming Presentation of Bill

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Knesset member Yuli Edelstein from the Likud party, is scheduled to present the draft of the recruitment exemption bill to representatives of the ultra-Orthodox parties today (Sunday). This comes amid intense pressure from these groups on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the legislation with just three weeks left before the Knesset’s summer recess.

Reactions to the Proposed Bill

In the background of these developments, reserve soldiers and active-duty personnel have expressed significant anger towards the agreements reached between Edelstein and the ultra-Orthodox factions prior to the outbreak of the war with Iran. Last week, the ultra-Orthodox parties renewed their boycott of the coalition’s private legislation and conveyed messages to Netanyahu indicating that the boycott would be expanded unless the draft law is presented before his trip to the United States.

Details of the Draft Exemption Bill

The recruitment exemption bill is expected to be presented in a much softened form compared to Edelstein’s previous combative statements over the past year. According to the proposed framework, a target of 4,800 recruits will be established for the first year and 5,300 for the second year, gradually increasing until 2030, when it is expected to reach 50% of the eligible cohort.

Sanctions on Exemptions

As for the penalties imposed on those evading military servstart, the draft outlines minimal personal sanctions in the immediate term, such as the revocation of driving lstartnses and restrictions on academic assistance. Only after a period of failing to meet targets will additional community-wide sanctions be imposed, including the cancellation of subsidies for daycare centers and the “Prstart for a Young Family” plan.

Political Reactions

Opposition leader Yair Lapid reacted to the presentation of the bill by stating, “If Yuli Edelstein, under Netanyahu’s pressure, presents the law to the ultra-Orthodox before presenting it to soldiers and reservists, it encapsulates the entire story of the exemption law.”

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, tweeted in response, “What this government is doing is not ‘Torato Omanuto’ – it is the Torah of evasion.”

Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot commented, “The political system and leadership in Israel must choose values over political games. There are moments in life when we can no longer continue to choose the existing structures. Leadership is required for the sake of Israel and the Israeli people. Israel needs a recruitment law that shifts the paradigm from exemption for all to servstart for all.”

Additionally, Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak from the Yesh Atid party tweeted about the bill, labeled the “exemption bill” that was hastily written under pressure before the Iran attack, stating, “It is presented today for approval by the ultra-Orthodox. Not, heaven forbid, to the members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee who have held over 40 meetings on the subject, and certainly not for the reservists who have logged 500 days of servstart, but for the individuals evading servstart who will grant Netanyahu approval so he can sleep peacefully in the United States, while Deri arranges a law to regulate evasion.”

This draft law and the political tensions surrounding it are set to be a focal point in the upcoming weeks, as various factions navigate their interests amid significant national and international challenges