The chareidi parties in the Knesset are once again threatening to halt their support for coalition-sponsored legislation unless progress is made on a bill that would officially exempt yeshiva students from military service.
According to a report by Channel 12, the boycott would apply specifically to private member bills brought forward by coalition MKs. Though the outlet did not cite specific sources, the move is said to mirror tactics used earlier this year to pressure the government into acting on the long-sought exemptions.
Tensions over the delayed legislation flared again this month, prompting the chareidi factions to briefly support a proposal to dissolve the Knesset and call for early elections. That threat was withdrawn at the last moment following a compromise, which led to the vote’s defeat.
Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has reportedly turned to Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, to help steer the legislation forward. Even if the bill doesn’t reach a final vote in the near term, Netanyahu is said to be pressing for a formal draft to be submitted soon.
While Edelstein is reportedly dissatisfied with the compromise that was brokered with the chareidi parties, he ultimately agreed to it due to sensitive security considerations. According to the report, he feared internal political instability could jeopardize U.S. involvement in military action against Iran.
Now that the 12-day conflict with Iran has ended, the chareidi factions are renewing their demands to move the exemption bill forward in the Knesset.
Organizations advocating for the enlistment of chareidim are expected to meet with Edelstein in the coming days, Channel 12 added. These groups have already expressed dissatisfaction with the current compromise proposal and plan to push for significant changes.
On Friday, Netanyahu held a conversation with Edelstein to brief him on recent security developments. The two also discussed the draft legislation regarding the chareidi exemption during that call.
Sources close to Edelstein that he intends to revisit the framework with chareidi leaders in an attempt to make “improvements” to the current compromise.
Edelstein has previously maintained that any draft law passed through his committee must include penalties for chareidi men who ignore enlistment orders. The current compromise, however, offers a more lenient version, with lighter consequences and scaled-back mandatory enlistment requirements for the chareidi public.
Adding fuel to the fire, MK Moshe Gafni of Degel HaTorah provoked backlash last week when he remarked that he fails to understand why Israel is still engaged in fighting in Gaza.

{Matzav.com Israel}