The Peri Share the Burden Committee adjourned on Sunday night the eve of 18 Sivan 5773 without reaching agreement. The ministers are at odds regarding sanctions to be levied against bnei yeshivos failing to comply with new draft laws. Yesh Atid officials insist that failure to comply with the new draft law must be a criminal offense and carry personal consequences for the offender. Other ministers on the committee are not in agreement.
Yesh Atid leader Minister Yair Lapid insists that the issue of personal sanctions were included in the coalition agreement and if the Peri Committee cannot reach agreement, it may lead to a coalition crisis. Lapid told Likud officials that if the coalition agreement is violated, the coalition as it exists today will fall apart.
The major bone of contention seems to surround what will occur if a talmid fails to report to an induction center at the age of 21, at which time he is expected to enlist. Yesh Atid insists this must be viewed as a criminal offense as is the case with any person failing to report for military service. Likud Ministers Moshe Ya’alon and Limor Livnat along with Bayit Yehudi Minister Uri Ariel do not feel this should be the case. They feel that the sanctions against such a person should not be automatic, but left to the discretion of the defense minister.
Lapid responded by phone, telling the committee members the position of the three is unacceptable, a non-starter. The committee members will continue discussing the matter on Monday, 18 Sivan in the hope of reaching an agreement.
Yesh Atid officials are fuming, insisting the position of the three ministers represents a “gross violation” of coalition agreements. Likud/Beitenu officials question the response from Yesh Atid, explaining there is a serious debate taking place towards reaching an agreement and accusations and statements to the media are not advancing efforts to reach agreement.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
lapid tracht uhn gut lacht. rabboisai keep on davening
Likud and Bayit Yehudi aren’t suicidal, and don’t believe that destruction of the hareidi community is a policy goal (unlike Yesh Atid which was elected on a platform of regarding us as “unser Unglück!”. The Yesh Atid plan with its plans for forcing closure of hareidi yeshivos and mass arrests for draft resistance would serious disrupt Israel and endanger the survival of the zionist enterprise (since it would undermine Israel’s international image as a Jewish state, and force the hareidim to ally with the Arabs).
You are beginning to hear more and more politicians talking about ending conscription, which is the only possible solution which will equalize the burden of military service, while avoiding dealing with hareidi draft refusal.
Remember that Likud has coalition options other than Yesh Atid, and if Bayit Yehudi (the Religious Zionists) are willing to break their support for Lapid, Lapid becomes irrelevant.
the coalition as it exists today will fall apart
Kein Yirbeh!! May Lapid be Zoche to be fuel his own downfall quickly & speedily, LeHagdil Toroh uLeHa’adiroh.
Wasn’t haman also a finance minister
There have to be consequences although the criminal justice system could not handle thousands of draft evaders. It would probably be better simply to fine them a large sum and confiscate whatever small amounts of funds they may have. obviously, they should also be denied any government benefits. For example, in the U.S. you are denied student loans if you fail to register for the draft when reaching 18 years of age, even though we don’t anticipate ever using the draft.
Lapid is acting like a little baby. His inexperience in politics is now coming to light. Its a lot different than sitting unopposed in a comfortable TV studio. I wonder how his sidekicks, the 2 useful idiots, Piron & Lipman, are doing now? Wait till the Ain Atid Party is knocked out of the coalition. Piron/Lipman will be the first ones gone!
This would be a great opportunity for the charedi leadership to propose a compromise. How about something like:
Secular studies in yeshivot in return for government funding (as is done in many countries in the world).
Creation of more charedi-friendly IDF and national service units for those who volunteer to serve.
No draft for charedim.
End the ban on employment.
Make the funding of adult yeshivot comparable to that of universities.
This will entail civil war and bloodshed in the Zionist State.