Knesset committee advances bill to cancel arrests of Haredi draft evaders

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee approved the bill to cancel arrests of Haredi draft evaders on Sunday, sending it to the plenum for final votes. The committee's legal advisor opposed the bill, arguing the mechanism is unconstitutional and turns the conscription law into a 'mere recommendation,' i24NEWS reports.

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee approved the bill to cancel arrests of Haredi draft evaders Sunday afternoon, moving it to the plenum for second and third readings. The committee's legal advisor formally opposed the bill, stating that the proposed mechanism to exempt deserters from arrest is unconstitutional and renders the conscription law a 'mere recommendation,' according to i24NEWS.

The bill's advancement follows weeks of committee deliberation. As The Zioneer reported, the legal advisor first voiced opposition on June 29, calling the bill an illegitimate bypass of the conscription law. The committee held a debate on June 30 on a broader pardon for Haredi draft dodgers, and began final votes on the detention freeze bill on July 7. On July 8, opposition lawmakers demanded an investigation into a potential conflict of interest among Haredi MKs voting on the bill.

The committee's approval Sunday is the latest step in a legislative push to resolve the conscription crisis ahead of the Knesset's dispersal. The bill now heads to the plenum, where its fate remains uncertain. Political commentator Chaim Cohen assessed on July 1 that the chance of passing the bill through all readings in the remaining legislative window was near zero.

5 developments

1. 50 minutes ago · 15:08 · 12 JulLatest

   Opposition MKs walked out of the committee session in protest.

2. 15:02 · 12 Jul

   Bismut directly attacked Frankel Shor during the committee session.

3. 14:57 · 12 Jul

   Committee Chair Bismut criticized legal advisor Miri Frankel following the vote.

• Strong22:43 · 29 JunKnesset committee legal advisor opposes deserters bill, says it bypasses conscription law
• Strong20:54 · 4 JulOpposition MKs ask Knesset panel to delay vote on arrest-freeze for yeshiva draft evaders; chair rejects
• Developing11:19 · 2 JulKnesset panel proceeds with arrest-immunity debate for Haredi non-enlistees; opposition furious Sukkot chairs session
• Developing13:45 · 11 JunOpposition lawmakers ejected from Knesset committee on media bill

Source and signal

A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.

• Internal intake