The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has not yet scheduled a debate for Sunday on freezing proceedings against Israeli draft evaders, signaling another delay in the coalition's effort to advance a conscription overhaul, according to a Saturday evening report.
The coalition's attempt to advance a conscription law encountered another delay Saturday evening, when it emerged that the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has not set a Sunday debate on freezing proceedings against military deserters — a key component of the broader legislative package. The report, by journalist Shalom Stein, came just hours after the Knesset Finance Committee was scheduled to vote on the separate daycare subsidy bill, which has been repeatedly postponed over the past two weeks.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, the daycare subsidy bill — which would fund daycare centers for ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve — has stalled amid coalition infighting and opposition from secular MKs and the Knesset's legal adviser. Last Thursday, the Knesset legal adviser formally opposed a coalition proposal that would pardon deserters and effectively repeal the conscription law. The current delay on freezing deserters' proceedings suggests the coalition still lacks a clear path forward in either committee.
The draft crisis has been a major fault line in the current government. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have demanded fundamental reform, while Haredi parties insist on maintaining the status quo. With the Knesset potentially moving toward dissolution, the coalition's window to pass a conscription bill is narrowing. The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has not yet announced a new date for the debate.
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