A draft version of MK Boaz Bismuth’s proposed Chok HaGiyus (Conscription Law) has been revealed, unveiling sweeping revisions to earlier proposals. The bill, backed by Shas and Degel HaTorah, formally enshrines the status of yeshiva students and significantly eases both recruitment expectations and punitive measures.
Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was slated to present the bill this week but postponed the hearing after Prime Minister Netanyahu requested additional time to review the draft. According to the leaked document, the new version diverges sharply from the version submitted by ousted committee chairman MK Yoav “Yuli” Edelstein.
The committee’s legal adviser, Miri Frenkel-Shor, is reportedly opposed to several of the bill’s clauses and is expected to present her objections in the coming days.
Key Provisions of the Bismuth Draft
Formal Recognition of Yeshiva Students
The opening clause of the bill represents a major ideological shift. While Edelstein’s version emphasized equality in military service, Bismuth’s explicitly recognizes Torah study as a vital national value. The law’s stated purpose is “to establish arrangements that will regulate the status of yeshiva students whose Torah is their profession, in recognition of the importance of Torah study.”
Alternative Service Options
The proposed legislation allows chareidi men to fulfill their national duty through security-oriented national service rather than exclusively through the IDF. However, such service will count for only 10% of the overall recruitment targets, ensuring that most quotas are still tied to the army.
Terminology Change: “Yeshiva Students” Deleted
Where Edelstein’s draft spoke of recruiting “yeshiva students,” Bismuth’s bill replaces this with “graduates of chareidi educational institutions.” The clause now reads: “The government shall act to recruit those designated for military service from among graduates of chareidi educational institutions, for regular military service or security-related civilian service.”
Reduced Sanctions
Unlike Edelstein’s version, which imposed sweeping sanctions even when recruitment goals were met, Bismuth’s draft applies financial penalties—namely, cuts to yeshiva budgets—only if the community fails to meet targets after one year. The law would therefore protect funding for compliant institutions.
Combat Quotas Removed
Edelstein’s proposal required that 35% of recruits from the chareidi sector serve in combat or combat-support roles. Bismuth’s version eliminates that clause entirely, stating only that quotas will pertain to overall enlistment figures, regardless of service type.
Redefining “Chareidi” Eligibility
Edelstein’s law defined a chareidi recruit as one who studied in a religious institution for three years between ages 14 and 18. Bismuth’s bill lowers that threshold to just two years.
Surveillance and Oversight Relaxed
A further modification removes Edelstein’s controversial fingerprint attendance-tracking requirement. Instead, the bill substitutes periodic audits in place of biometric monitoring. The text specifies that inspections will be conducted “by a supervisor” rather than “through biometric attendance registration.”
If passed, the Bismuth bill would mark a historic milestone in legally safeguarding the status of Torah learners, reshaping the debate over military service exemptions and redefining the government’s approach to the chareidi community’s integration into national frameworks.
{Matzav.com}
