MK Yuli Adelstein told the Reichman University Herzliya Conference Tuesday evening that the government's new deserters bill is worse than the controversial Bismuth law — stripping out all conscription-related content and leaving only punitive measures for deserters, according to N12. The remark sharpens coalition infighting over the bill, which the Knesset legal advisor had earlier criticized as an illegitimate bypass of conscription law.
MK Yuli Adelstein (Likud) criticized the coalition's deserters bill during the Herzliya Conference at Reichman University on Tuesday evening. According to N12, Adelstein stated: "When I saw the Bismuth law, I thought nothing could be worse. But after seeing the deserters bill, the Bismuth law seems reasonable — because they removed everything related to the IDF and conscription and left only what happens to deserters."
The comment reflects growing internal coalition friction over the legislation, which aims to resolve the Haredi conscription crisis by criminalizing desertion while largely exempting yeshiva students from mandatory service. The Knesset's legal advisor had previously called the bill an illegitimate bypass around conscription law, as The Zioneer reported on Monday.
The Herzliya Conference, hosted by the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University, serves as a major Israeli security and policy forum. Whether Adelstein's remarks signal broader Likud reservations remains unclear.
- StrongKnesset committee legal advisor opposes deserters bill, says it bypasses conscription law
- DevelopingKnesset legal adviser opposes coalition plan to pardon draft dodgers and annul conscription law
- DevelopingMK Stern: new Torah study Basic Law worse than first draft
- StrongReservists Party slams government's Torah study bill as 'disconnected' amid missile fire, mass call-up
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