Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Saturday night he hopes the ultra-Orthodox public will make a 'correction' on military enlistment, adding that he does not seek to re-educate them but to convey a national mission to protect Israel. His remarks come amid ongoing coalition tensions over conscription legislation.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism) addressed the ultra-Orthodox enlistment issue in a statement Saturday evening, saying he hopes the Haredi public will 'make a correction' on the matter. He clarified he does not seek to re-educate them but to convey what he termed a 'national mission' — to protect the existence of the Jewish people against the enemy.
Smotrich's remarks follow his previously reported opposition to a Haredi-backed Basic Law on Torah study, which would codify military service exemptions for yeshiva students (as The Zioneer reported on June 8). Ultra-Orthodox party officials have warned that without a mechanism equating service burdens across sectors, any draft law will be merely declaratory (June 9). The issue remains a central fault line in the coalition, with Haredi parties pushing for legislative guarantees of exemption and secular and religious-Zionist members demanding a more equal distribution of service.
- StrongSmotrich opposes ultra-Orthodox Torah-study Basic Law bill
- DevelopingSmotrich: ultra-Orthodox parties 'still in exile'
- DevelopingSmotrich: Gafni treats secular education more leniently than religious education
- StrongSmotrich says Gaza deal bad for Israel, vows to continue campaign in 'creative ways'
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