The state responded to the Supreme Court explaining that for as long as a new chareidi draft law is not passed, the induction of 650 chareidim will be pushed off. The chareidim in question as scheduled for induction next week. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon also plans to push off the induction of 1,800 chareidim currently set to report for service on 19 Teves 5774, December 22, 2013 if the new law has not been passed by then.
The state was responding as the Supreme Court is hearing a petition from the Hiddush – Freedom of Religion in Israel Organization, Movement for Quality Government and other organizations that question how the state continues funding yeshivos and why the chareidim are not being drafted in the absence of the Tal Law. The Tal Law provided the legal framework to permit chareidim to continue limud Torah instead of being drafted. That law was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the summer of 5772.
The ministerial committee working to finalize the new chareidi draft law headed by MK (Bayit Yehudi) is set to meet again on Tuesday, 16 Kislev 5774. The committee is at odds as Shaked feels that criminal sanctions against chareidim who fail to comply with the law should be replaced with economic sanctions.
Yesh Atid members of the committee including Science Minister Yaakov Peri, who played a pivotal role in writing the law, object to this alternative method of sanctions. Peri announced recently his party will not exhibit any flexibility regarding the drafting of chareidim and demands for criminal sanctions.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Get Peri to respond to the fact that the army and Minister of Defense Yaalon are firmly opposed to criminal sanctions, since they hold that such sanctions will make it a lot harder for them to motivate Chareidi soldiers.