Details on New Draft Law

A new outline of the draft law was agreed upon by two of three Charedi parties, which limited the consequences for yeshiva students who don’t enlist and also lowered the quota of those required to join the army. The agreement angered the Opposition on both the right and left side of the political aisle, and also led to the resignation of Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf from his ministerial post, as his Agudas Yisrael party voted in the failed attempt at toppling the government Wednesday night.

Though the Gedolei Yisrael of Degel Hatorah had initially instructed its representatives to give Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu another week to come to a compromise, details emerged hours after the failed vote of a deal reached between Degel, Shas and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein.

The draft framework sets mandatory enlistment for all between ages 18 and 26. Recruitment targets are set at 4,800 Charedim in the first year, 5,700 in the second, and eventually 50% of the relevant draft-age cohort. Full success is not required; reaching 95% of the target counts as meeting the goal and exempts the community from penalties.

If the draft goals aren’t met, immediate personal sanctions will apply. These include revocation or denial of driver’s licenses, travel restrictions (with exceptions), loss of affirmative action in public jobs, withdrawal of academic subsidies, and loss of tax credits for men under 26 who neither enlist nor study.

Within six months, if interim goals are unmet, students lose dormitory discounts and reduced fares on public transport. A year of failure results in loss of National Insurance benefits the following year. If the goals are still unmet after two years, further subsidies are cut, including rent support, housing tax breaks, and after-school program funding.

If yeshivos meet 75% or more of their draft targets, the gap percentage will be doubled and deducted from their budgets. For example, reaching 80% of the target means a 40% budget cut. If fewer than 75% are recruited, the entire yeshiva budget may be revoked.

Edelstein responded, saying, “As I have said all along – only a real, effective bill that leads to an expansion of the IDF recruitment base – will emerge from the committee I chair. I stood on this without compromise.”

Degel HaTorah’s spiritual leader Hagaon Harav Dov Lando shlita issued two overnight announcements. Initially, he noted unresolved issues including legislative timetables. Later, after being presented with updated commitments, he instructed MKs to oppose the dissolution vote if it came to the plenum that night.

The shift followed a phone call between Hagaon Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlita, the other spiritual leader of Degel(speaking from the U.S.), and NK Moshe Gafni. After consultations with MKs Uri Maklev and Yaakov Asher, Rav Hirsch ruled to delay any vote on Knesset dissolution this week.

During the meeting with Edelstein, the Charedi MKs stepped out numerous times to discuss matters with the Gedolim.

Agudah MK Rabbi Yisrael Eichler voted with Degel and Shas. His office explained his opposition vote came by direct instruction from the Belzer Rebbe shlita.“In light of the agreements reached between the Charedi MKs, the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and Committee Chair Edelstein regarding the draft law, MK Rabbi Yisrael Eichler received a holy instruction to vote against the opposition’s proposal to dissolve the Knesset.”

Meanwhile, in a sign of profound tone deafness and the hatred the secular Israeli political world has for Torah, head of the Democrats party Yair Golan declared that not only Haredi boys but girls should also be enlisted—despite the longstanding halachic stance of Gedolei Yisrael that such a decree is yehareg ve’al ya’avor.

“I call on the ultra-Orthodox public, on the ultra-Orthodox boys and girls: do not be afraid, come enlist. Let us be Israelis who serve together. Let us be one people,” Golan said.