Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit remains opposed to the new draft law, which only contains economic sanctions. He feels as a result of this, the law may not stand the test of challenge in the High Court of Justice.
Walla News reports that Mandelblit is critical of the clause, which states the economic sanctions will only take effect in 2020. He also explains that if yeshivos do not meet the quota and economic sanctions are imposed, the funds will reach the yeshiva another round-about way. As such, the attorney general feels the sanctions should be personal, against induction candidates, and not economic, against institutions.
Adding to his criticism, Mandelblit is critical of the redefinition of a chareidi, permitting the use of non-chareidim to fill the state draft quotas.
Despite all these objections, the cabinet on Sunday, 18 Tammuz, passed the new draft law. Aryeh Deri abstained in the vote, but he did not oppose it. Following the meeting, Deri contacted the cabinet secretary to change his vote. He explained he erroneously abstained when in fact, he wanted to vote against it. Shas Minister David Azoulai was not present for the vote, but a ballot was submitted from him stating he abstains. After Deri contacted the cabinet secretary, Azoulai asked that he too be recorded as opposing the vote instead of abstaining.
The chareidi parties are now waiting for the first reading in Knesset on Monday, 19 Tammuz. Chareidi MKs are expected to oppose the law in the first reading. The law will then go to the special committee headed by MK (Likud) David Amsellem and only after it is amended will they vote in favor; in the second and third readings.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
The whole law is unjust.
First, who is a charadi? The term ‘charadi’ needs to be defined for example, does he presently learn in a yeshiva? does he have a beard? what if he is a drop out? etc….
Why punish yeshivas? They are only educational institutions who teach Torah. The draft is a state need and should be fulfilled by those who according to law are draftable.
Who is a chareidi is left open to be defined by the Defense MInister (as he has the sole authority to define what is a chareidi yeshivah/kollel) because as everyone knows, Lieberman is a real expert on frumkeit.
Why punish yeshivos? Because they want the roshei yeshivah to do their dirty work, so they can say, “It wasn’t us who pushed bochurim into the army – it was the yeshivos themselves who did it so they wouldn’t lose money.” It’s a clever tactic.
As for the draft being a state need – what shtusim. Everyone admits the whole purpose is to dismantle the chareidi world and push everyone into the “melting pot” of army and Israeli society. The army is not lacking soldiers. Secular soldiers have one week out of every 2 off because they have nothing to do on base. Look up “shavua-shavua” if you don’t believe me.
We need Moshiah now, these gezeras are similar in effect to nazi Germany, they hound us and want to throttle Torah, it is pure discrimination against Jewish culture!
“Everyone admits the whole purpose is to dismantle the chareidi world”
While for the girls’ draft that probably is accurate,,do you have a better option for males? for all sectors of society?
Who is the everyone?If so how come all sectors have the same draft? Are they also trying to dismantle the leftists from North Tel Aviv
The Defense Ministry should be forced into making a stark choice of directions:
Either pro deviants and feminist agenda
OR
Charedi and religious dati leumi
The present situation must be allowed to not continue