The High Court of Justice refused the request of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who asked for additional time in creating the new draft law. Gantz asked for an additional six months but the courts permitted a maximum of 90 days to finish the draft law, before the current law permitting the status quo in Israel, will become void.

The draft law has been a point of contention that has already caused the collapse of the government back in December 2018. The result was a series of three election cycles that only ended this past spring with the current unity government.

The High Court wrote in their decision that “We expect the state not to ask for another extension.” According to the decision, the current draft law will run out on the first of February 2021, a date that is less than three months away. At that time, the coalition government will need to come to an agreement regarding the new draft law, deal with whatever military exemptions for the Charedim that are deemed appropriate, and pass the drafted bill through three readings in the Knesset plenum in order to turn it into law.

The decision has thrown the political echelon into a mini-crisis. With the current overhanging threat being another round of elections, the current coalition, which is already entrenched in numerous disputes, will now have to find a way to bridge one of, if not the, most decisive pieces of legislation that Israel has ever come across.

The Charedi parties have been requesting to pass the current Draft Law which they helped to write with all possible speed before the coalition government collapses, which, according to various reports in the Israeli media, is expected to occur sometime in early 2021.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)