BICOM

The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party has threatened not to support the 2019 budget, if new legislation exempting ultra-Orthodox men from military service isn’t passed to replace proposals struck down by the High Court. A vote on the budget is scheduled for 15 March.

Before departing for the AIPAC policy conference in the US, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said there was no reason for the current stand-off to lead to the dissolution of the coalition and elections. He said: “With good will, that won’t happen either. I have good will, I hope that our responsible partners do, too. In that case, we won’t call elections, and this government can complete its term on the scheduled date in 2019.”

Israeli Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (UTJ) said: “I have been given a mission to pass this bill, according to the coalition agreement, and that’s not new. It could be that Netanyahu wants to call elections…as far as we’re concerned, there can be no compromise over the conscription bill.” He also said he had not ruled  out the possibility of joining the Zionist Union, led by Avi Gabbay, in the next government.

Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon insisted that the state budget must be approved on schedule. Kahlon said: “If the budget is not passed by the middle of the month, Kulanu will quit the Government,” he said.

Last week UTJ and another ultra-Orthodox party Shas proposed a new Basic Law that would establish the right of yeshiva students to avoid military service. The new bill was proposed as a reaction to the High Court decision last September that the current exemption system is discriminatory and harms the principle of equality before the law. The High Court ordered that the state must either enlist ultra-Orthodox men into the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) or pass a new law.

The new bill states that “Torah study is a foundational value in the heritage of the Jewish people,” and that the state “sees supreme importance in encouraging Torah study and Torah students”.