Just hours before Prime Minister Netanyahu was set to depart for Washington, the scheduled flight was delayed amid mounting pressure from chareidi parties demanding concrete progress on resolving the legal status of yeshiva students regarding army service. In this context, the Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Yuli Edelstein, unveiled a draft version of the controversial new draft law Sunday afternoon.
The draft was presented to Shas representative Ariel Atias, who is leading negotiations on behalf of the chareidi parties.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s departure for Washington—where he is expected to meet with President Trump—was pushed off by several hours. While the Prime Minister’s Office cited a security discussion as the official reason, the delay comes as chareidi factions issued an ultimatum demanding movement on the draft law before the trip.
According to a report by N12 citing sources close to the Prime Minister, the document shown today does not represent the finalized version of the law, but rather outlines the main points of the current agreement-in-progress.
In response to the chareidi demands, the coalition now intends—under the coordination of MK Edelstein and the chareidi representatives—to expedite deliberations in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and finalize the law’s language within the next two weeks. The goal is to pass the bill in its second and third Knesset readings before the current summer session concludes in under a month.
However, even once a final version is agreed upon, it will still require the approval of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah. The proposed law includes a controversial clause requiring 50% of each draft-eligible cohort to enlist within four years, along with both institutional and personal financial penalties for noncompliance—provisions which have drawn significant criticism from senior rabbinic figures.
On Motzaei Shabbos, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef announced that Shas’s Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah would convene to evaluate the principles of the proposed law. During his weekly shiur at the Yazdim Shul, alongside Rav Reuven Elbaz—Moetzet member and Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Hachaim—Rav Yosef lauded Rav Elbaz as “a devoted and faithful disciple of Maran for decades.”
Rav Yitzchak Yosef added forcefully: “Now the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah must discuss the entire draft law. If the heads of government and the Knesset truly understood how much bnei Torah protect the army and the entire world, they would give them double and triple support—not sanctions and the like.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
I know I have no say – but why are we taking different positions on this? Either torah learning is the issue or the threat to our yiddishkeit? I’d say the later – and that should be the position of mesiras nefesh. Please enlighten me…
Both Torah learning, as well as, the threat to yiddishkeit are the issues. Chareidim, whether they’re in Yeshiva or kollel, as well as those who are working, are demonstrating immense mesirus nefesh for not joining modern day Czar Nicolas Cantonist immoral anti-Torah army.
Nicholas I wrote in a private memorandum; “The chief benefit to be derived from the drafting of the Jews is the certainty that it will move them most effectively to change their religion.” The Tsar’s memorandum demonstrated his personal interest in using conscription to convert and assimilate Jews, despite guarantees provided to maintain religious freedom. —– Precisely the reason for drafting chareidim.
Will Modern Day Czar Nicolas arrest 54,000 chareidim? SHAME ON ISRAEL! Why don’t you draft the “elite” from Tel Aviv? And what about Arabs?
Will Modern Day Czar Nicolas arrest 54,000 chareidim to the Cantonist army? SHAME ON ISRAEL! Why don’t you draft the “elite” from Tel Aviv? And what about Arabs?