The legal advisor to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has formally opposed the so-called "deserters bill," arguing it creates an illegitimate bypass track around the conscription law and gives legal cover to draft evasion, according to a report by Amit Segal (N12). The opinion adds another procedural hurdle to the coalition's effort to resolve the conscription crisis before the Knesset disperses.
The legal adviser to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee formally opposed the coalition-backed "deserters bill" on Monday evening, arguing the legislation would create an illegitimate bypass track around the conscription law and legitimize draft evasion, according to a report by Amit Segal (N12). The bill seeks to suspend arrests of yeshiva students who evade military service — effectively freezing enforcement of the draft law for the ultra-Orthodox public.
This legal opinion follows a string of similar objections. Earlier Monday, the Attorney General and the Military Advocate General jointly opposed the same bill on identical grounds (The Zioneer, 22:38). Last week, the Knesset's own legal adviser rejected a coalition proposal to pardon draft dodgers and annul the conscription law, citing procedural and substantive flaws.
The conscription crisis has dominated the coalition's agenda in the run-up to the Knesset's expected dissolution. Shas has conditioned support for any coalition legislation on halting arrests of Haredi draft evaders; Prime Minister Netanyahu has signaled openness to Shas's version of the bill. The repeated legal objections — from the government's top legal officials and now from the committee's own adviser — cast further doubt on whether any iteration can pass muster with the Knesset's legal framework.
2 developments
- DevelopingKnesset legal adviser opposes coalition plan to pardon draft dodgers and annul conscription law
- DevelopingDraft bill hits new snag: Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee delays deserters freeze debate
- DevelopingAttorney General and Military Advocate General oppose arrest law bypassing draft legislation
- DevelopingEisenkot: Instead of strengthening the IDF, Knesset focuses on draft-dodging law
Source and signal
- Internal intake