Haredi coalition leaders MK Moshe Gafni and MK Aryeh Deri welcomed the Knesset's approval of the bill freezing arrests of yeshiva students who evade military service, according to reports. The law passed earlier Tuesday evening.
Haredi coalition leaders MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) and MK Aryeh Deri (Shas) welcomed the Knesset's approval Tuesday evening of the bill freezing arrests of yeshiva students who evade military service, as reported by The Zioneer. The law, which passed earlier in the evening, institutes a five-month freeze on enforcement against draft evaders, valid through November 30, 2026.
The approval capped a rapid sequence of reports from The Zioneer throughout Tuesday evening. At 17:46 Jerusalem, the Knesset passed the bill in a 58-54 vote, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu absent and Defense Minister Israel Katz voting in favor despite the IDF Chief of Staff's warning of a 'deep rift.' Initial reports from N12 and i24NEWS cited 58 votes in favor, though later figures ranged to 59. By 18:01, opposition lawmakers shouted 'Shame!' as Katz voted, and United Torah Judaism leader Yaakov Goldknopf shook his hand in gratitude. At 18:03, MK Dan Illouz (Likud) called the bill 'a spit in the face.' At 18:12, The Zioneer confirmed that three coalition MKs—Illouz, Yuli Edelstein, and Sharren Haskel—broke ranks and voted against, while Haredi MKs disclosed a personal interest in the legislation. By 18:49, Democrats chairman Yair Golan condemned the vote as 'one of the greatest moments of disgrace.'
The legislation comes amid a broader coalition effort to formulate a permanent conscription arrangement, as The Zioneer reported on July 5, when senior coalition officials were in talks with Haredi yeshiva heads. On Monday, opposition party leaders issued a rare joint call against the bill, according to ynet. The Prime Minister's Office had assured a guaranteed majority for the bill on June 16.
The law faces legal challenges: opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman filed a High Court petition against it, as The Zioneer reported. The long-term framework for Haredi conscription remains under formulation, and the freeze's oversight provisions—requiring yeshivas to maintain at least 45 hours of weekly study (40 for kollel) and allowing removal of institutions with absenteeism above 20%—will be tested in implementation.
12 developments
- DevelopingMK Moshe Gafni hails passage of law as 'important step' for Torah world
- StrongKnesset plenum approves splitting attorney general and state prosecutor bill, 59-45
- DevelopingKnesset advances bill extending statute of limitations for sex offenses
- DevelopingKnesset passes final law extending statute of limitations for sex offenses against minors to age 48
Source and signal
- Internal intake