Lapid Advances Bill To Enlist Chareidim, Demanding They Share IDF Burden

In response to growing demands to abolish the de facto exemption of the chareidi community from military conscription, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid presented a revised draft law on Monday, stipulating that those avoiding military or civilian service would forfeit state funding.

“This law embodies a fundamental principle: equality under the law. Everyone bears the responsibility of protecting and contributing to the country. No single sector is exempt from this duty merely due to its political influence,” Lapid emphasized during a press briefing preceding his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction gathering at the Knesset. He affirmed, “The new legislation will be straightforward: individuals evading service will not be entitled to financial support from the state. Those who opt out of military or civilian duty will not receive state allowances,” asserting that this measure “will promote genuine equality in bearing the burden.”

The issue of exemptions for chareidim from Israel’s compulsory military service has garnered renewed attention recently, especially after proposed alterations to security and reserve service laws by the IDF and the government earlier this month. These changes aim to address manpower shortages resulting from conflicts in Gaza and along the northern border, with the IDF mobilizing a record 287,000 reservists following the October 7 attack.

Chareidi communities have historically benefited from exemptions from military conscription.

Lapid, who has criticized the government’s prioritization of politics over security, contended that if the chareidim were conscripted, the proposed legislative amendments would be unnecessary. He stated, “If they are recruited, extending mandatory service becomes redundant.” In a letter to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Lapid urged him to withdraw the government’s bill extending enlistment terms, advocating for the IDF’s transformation into a “truly people’s army.”

Expressing his frustration, Lapid articulated, “It is untenable that numerous Israeli families live in fear every night, dreading a knock on the door. With daily casualties, it’s unjustifiable that only one segment of society enjoys exemption.” He added pointedly, “This status quo is no longer tolerable, especially after October 7th.”

Already, the Knesset has temporarily extended the mandatory service period for IDF reservists, while the army has initiated an early draft of approximately 1,300 individuals from pre-army programs, national religious yeshivas, and community service initiatives. Many, including cabinet ministers and coalition members aligned with chareidi factions in Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s government, have demanded increased ultra-Orthodox enlistment to address manpower deficits.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli and Likud lawmakers Moshe Saada and Dan Illouz lamented the unequal distribution of security burdens, emphasizing that certain sectors shoulder the responsibility while others continue their normal lives. Welfare Minister Ya’akov Margi of the Shas party even advocated for compulsory recruitment of non-Torah-studying chareidim.

Margi remarked, “I cannot justify to any mother whose son is on the front lines, sacrificing sleep for months, why a chareidim boy remains exempt.”

{Matzav.com Israel}