The Shaked Committee, which is finalizing the new chareidi draft law, is expected to present the new bill to Knesset in the near future. The committee’s self-imposed deadline is the end of November 2013.
In a session held on Wednesday, 24 Kislev 5774, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz called on the committee to draft chareidim at the youngest age possible, explaining this will facilitate service for them, the chareidim; while cutting costs for the military. The commander explained the older the soldier the most costly the operation for the military.
Chareidi MKs have not changed their position and they continue to warn that a new draft law that includes criminal sanctions against those failing to comply will lead to confrontation and possibly worse, with Yahadut Hatorah MKs warning such a law will never succeed in achieving its goal of drafting chareidim.
When the committee speaks of criminal sanctions this means anyone violating the draft law will be in violation of penal law and will be subject to arrest and fines.
It is likely the committee will announce it has completed its task of formulating the new chareidi draft law, which replaces the Tal Law, sometime in the coming days.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
It will come down to Likud (Netanyahu) and Bayit Yehudi (Bennett). If they support conscription of Bnei Yeshiva there will be serious consequences. Up to now only a handful of hareidi believed they would be better off if there was no state – most tried to be neutral or were sympathetic. The attempt to coerce military service will force many hareidim to decide between Torah and the Medinah, between giving up that which defines our very existence or choosing the path of treason and rebellion (and even if we don’t take up arms, and playing soldier is not our way, the zionists won’t refrain from use violence against us).