Former IDF chief and war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot said the coalition's push to enshrine draft exemptions in a Basic Law is a direct hit on Israel's national resilience. Speaking Wednesday evening, Eisenkot argued that Torah study is a vital value but cannot serve as a political cover for abandoning the duty to defend the country, accusing the coalition of prioritizing government survival over the IDF's strength.
Former IDF Chief of Staff and war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot issued a sharp condemnation Wednesday evening as the coalition advanced a contentious Basic Law. In remarks published by his Yashar party channel, Eisenkot said the effort to turn draft exemption into a quasi-constitutional principle is 'a direct strike on our national spine' at a time when the burden on those who serve is breaking records and the price they pay is unbearable. Eisenkot stressed that Torah study is a valued pursuit but 'cannot serve as a political cover for abandoning the defense of the state.' He accused coalition members who voted for the bill of choosing the government's political survival over the IDF's resilience and Israeli society's cohesion. The comments follow several days of intensifying political debate around the bill, which Shas originally proposed as a Basic Law anchoring Torah study as a core value — critics argue it would institutionalize mass draft evasion by yeshiva students. As The Zioneer reported over the past weeks, Eisenkot has repeatedly slammed the initiative, previously calling it a 'cover for draft dodging' and accusing the government of harming the IDF instead of preparing for all-out war. The bill's preliminary Knesset vote passed on June 10 with 56 in favor and 43 against.
2 developments
- DevelopingEisenkot: Instead of strengthening the IDF, Knesset focuses on draft-dodging law
- DevelopingReservists' families group slams coalition after conscription bill passes first reading
- DevelopingFormer IDF chief Eisenkot: government deal to stay in power is 'irresponsible, harmful to IDF'
- DevelopingBennett vows to repeal conscription exemption law, says coalition chose politics over security
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- Internal intake