In my opinion everyone has been framing this argument in black and white. It’s either join the IDF or stay in kollel ???? ?????. Lapid can easily persuade the Chareidim by offering the option to leave kollel without joining the IDF and the Chareidim can easily persuade Lapid by offering to accept the same.
The non-Chareidi velt sees this “Million Man Atzeres” as a demand for welfare and indefinite government payouts to kollels and kollel families which did nothing but anger everyone. Had the Atzeres instead have been framed as a demand to give Chareidim equal opportunity without the requirement of draft, it would have gone over a lot better.