At the demand of the Knesset legal adviser, Haredi lawmakers disclosed that all of them have children or grandchildren who would benefit from the proposed exemption law, and said they are proud of them, according to The Zioneer.
The Haredi MKs confirmed Tuesday at 17:09 Jerusalem that all of them have children or grandchildren who would benefit from the proposed exemption law, and expressed pride in them, according to The Zioneer. The disclosure came after the lawmakers submitted a 'detailed' response to the Knesset legal adviser's demand at 17:01, following a day of escalating procedural moves.
The sequence began earlier Tuesday at 13:56 Jerusalem, when the Knesset legal adviser first mandated that MKs disclose any draft-evader relatives before voting on the bill, warning of legal risk. Initial reports from multiple outlets indicated that Shas and United Torah Judaism MKs gave a general disclosure but refused to name specific relatives. By 17:01, the MKs submitted a response described as 'detailed,' and minutes later acknowledged that their own family members—described as Torah scholars—would be affected by the legislation.
The bill, which would grant a temporary exemption from military service for Haredi yeshiva students, was approved by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on Sunday despite legal and public criticism, as The Zioneer reported.
The disclosure has sparked controversy in the Knesset, with opposition lawmakers calling for an investigation into a conflict of interest. It remains unclear whether the legal adviser will accept the disclosure as sufficient or whether the bill will face a High Court challenge.
8 developments
- StrongHaredi MKs: our Torah-scholar children, grandchildren would be affected by draft-evasion arrest bill
- DevelopingKnesset panel approves Haredi enlistment exemption for coming months
- DevelopingKnesset committee holds debate on pardon for Haredi draft dodgers
- DevelopingOpposition MKs demand probe of Haredi lawmakers' conflict of interest on draft-evasion bill
Source and signal
- Internal intake