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A Knesset committee yesterday began voting on legislation which would create a more equitable military draft system and require a far more comprehensive enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men.

The committee, headed by Jewish Home MK Ayelet Shaked, yesterday deliberated for three hours but only managed to approve one article of the bill, relating to the civilian service options for those exempt from military enlistment. However, it signalled the beginning of the process to advance the legislation which is set for second and third Knesset readings during the coming weeks.

The bill, drafted by a ministerial committee headed by Science, Technology and Space Minister Yaakov Peri of Yesh Atid, passed a first Knesset reading in July. The proposed legislation requires that all but 1,800 full-time ultra-Orthodox seminary students be required to enlist in either the IDF or civilian national service once they reach the age of 21. The current version of the bill states that failure to do so will result in imprisonment.

However, Naftali Bennett’s Jewish Home party is keen to remove the clauses in the bill which allow for criminal sanctions against ultra-Orthodox students who refuse to enlist, arguing that threats are unlikely to encourage their enlistment. Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party is adamant that there must be equality before the law, including criminal sanctions. This marks one of a number of recent public splits between Bennett and Lapid, who became unlikely allies during coalition talks following January’s election, especially over the issue of reforming the military draft.

Haaretz reports that the gap between the two parties over criminal sanctions may have narrowed. Apparently, MK Ayelet Shaked indicated during the past few weeks that Jewish Home might agree to imposing criminal sanctions from 2020, while Yesh Atid’s point person on the issue, MK Ofer Shelah, advocates taking such action from 2017 onwards. The legislation as a whole is expected to face intense opposition from ultra-Orthodox leaders and Haaretz suggests that they will organise mass protests against the bill during the coming weeks.