BICOM

According to Channel 2 News, a new version of the Military Draft Law was circulated to ministers last night in an attempt to resolve a dispute about mandatory military service for Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) before an approaching political deadline.

The previous Israeli government changed the law to remove special wide exemptions which previously allowed Haredi men to avoid military service. These exemptions had been found to be unlawful by Israel’s Supreme Court. The legislation, championed by the Yesh Atid party in government, introduced a 3-year transition process after which Haredi men would have to serve in the military on the same basis as other Israelis.

Haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, insisted that the current law must be changed as a condition for their entering the coalition and have said that they won’t support the state budget unless the draft law is amended at the same time. The budget is due to be proposed this month.

A committee made up of representatives of the Haredi parties and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked has been trying to produce a compromise bill that would be acceptable to the Haredi parties, the broader Israeli public, and the Supreme Court.

According a Channel 2 report, the new proposal postpones the 3-year transition so it starts in 2017 and ends in 2020. It then adds a second transition period from 2020-2023, during which time there will be no criminal penalties for Haredi men who refuse to accept a draft in this eight-year period and possibly beyond.

While this waters down the original law substantially it also represents some movement from the Haredi parties, who are no longer demanding the status quo ante of an absolute exemption.

Yair Lapid, Yesh Atid leader responded by saying, “Pay attention to the timing. The security services around the State of Israel are pushed to the limits to protect all Israeli citizens from the knife terror attacks, and precisely at this time, or because of this timing, the government is trying to pass a law against IDF soldiers”.