Knesset Legal Adviser instructed Haredi MKs that they must disclose any relatives who are draft evaders before voting on the bill to cancel arrest of deserters, N12 reports. Failure to declare could expose MKs to legal jeopardy, while declaring could lead to family members' arrest if the law is struck down by the High Court.
The Knesset Legal Adviser has issued a binding instruction requiring Haredi MKs to disclose whether any of their relatives are draft evaders before they vote on the coalition-backed bill to cancel arrest of deserters, according to N12 journalist Dafna Liel.
The directive places Haredi lawmakers in a dilemma: if they fail to declare a relative who is an evader, they could face legal consequences for concealing a conflict of interest. If they do declare, and the High Court later strikes down the law, their declaration could expose the relative to arrest.
The instruction follows earlier reports that opposition MKs demanded an investigation into potential conflicts of interest among Haredi lawmakers on this bill. The High Court has previously warned that defying its rulings could carry personal legal responsibility. The bill's fate remains uncertain as it advances through the legislative process.
5 developments
- DevelopingOpposition MKs demand probe of Haredi lawmakers' conflict of interest on draft-evasion bill
- DevelopingSenior Israeli police officers urge halting proactive arrests of Haredi draft evaders
- StrongKnesset committee legal advisor opposes deserters bill, says it bypasses conscription law
- DevelopingKnesset legal adviser opposes coalition plan to pardon draft dodgers and annul conscription law
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