Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu announced today that he will not support extending a law which allows full-time yeshiva students to defer military service for another five years, two days after he said he said he sought to extend it.
Netanyahu, who landed in Holland today, said that he will discuss the decision with his coalition and will push for government approval.
The announcement came one day after Defense Minister Ehud Barak expressed his support for a one-year extension of what is known as the Tal Law.
Barak, who spoke on Monday during a West Bank tour with GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi and other officers near Ramallah, said that the extension would give the government a chance to come up with a new solution.
“The Tal Law was passed ten years ago and extended five years ago. According to Barak, the law “has failed to live up to our expectations of it. We should extend it for another year, in which the problem can be sorted out.”
During the tour, Barak also emphasized that the burden of Israel’s security needs should be shared by everyone, and that those who are not drafted should be “compelled to serve the community through national service.”
Barak further called for raising the pay for conscripts, specifically that of combatants.
{Haaretz/Matzav.com Newscenter}
Netanyahoo only has one significant opponent in the January 31st Likud Primary Election for Chairman. He is Moshe Feiglin a formidable candidate who is currently polling at 36% against Netanyahoo’s 64%.
Netanyahoo’s latest flip-flop, not allowing deferments for Yeshiva Students and his shift to the left on other issues may give Feiglin the momentum within the Likud to pull off an upset against Netanyahoo on January 31.
Baruch hashem!
Prime Minister Netanyahu has a very difficult job to do. Blessings to him.
The last thing the IDF wants is a bunch of bochurim .
It’s all a bunch of hot air! During the Yom Kippur war yeshiva bochrim lined up outside the draft office, asking to be conscripted in order to help their fighting brethren. They were told, “Go back to your yeshivos and learn for us all!”
I agree with #3 that Netanyahu has a very difficult job to do and that he is doing it admirably well.
However, he is starting down a slippery slope with this one.
Every country with a draft has an exemption or deferment for divinity students. This should not be such a major issue.
And #4 is correct: This point is political in nature only. The LAST thing the IDF wants or needs is an influx of yeshiva bochurim they have no idea how to handle.
The IDF has enough problems without having bochrim in it’s ranks.
Comment # 4- Bruce raises an interesting point. I started to think about the scenarios of a chevra of yeshiva guys in the army, and I couldn’t stop laughing!