Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee head Yuli Edelstein has indicated he would be open to removing a proposed penalty in the current conscription bill that would strip property tax discounts from members of the ultra-Orthodox community who avoid military service—so long as other punitive measures in the legislation remain intact, according to a Channel 12 report.
The remaining sanctions expected to stay in the draft law include eliminating subsidized public transportation for draft evaders, rescinding tax breaks for employed women married to them, excluding them from eligibility in the national housing lottery, and cutting off access to government-funded daycare and academic tuition assistance. Additionally, the bill aims to block those who refuse to serve until age 29 from acquiring driver’s licenses or leaving the country, and subjects them to possible arrest.
Edelstein has consistently vowed that any legislation his committee passes will impose penalties on those who avoid the draft. That stance has sparked sharp backlash from ultra-Orthodox parties, who have warned that they might dismantle the coalition government in response.
A representative from Degel HaTorah, a faction within the United Torah Judaism alliance, told Channel 12 News: “As of now, everything is up in the air. We want clear agreements.”
{Matzav.com Israel}