Has there been a consensus on advancing the Draft Law? A report from the Israeli Hamodia indicates that an agreement has been made between Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and UTJ leader Yitzchok Goldknopf regarding the drafting and advancement of the Draft Law in the near future.
The report suggests that the proposed legislation “will recognize the importance of Torah study and of Torah students and will thwart the harm being done to yeshiva students.” This action, according to the report, is a result of directives from the leadership of the chareidi community.
Goldknopf informed Netanyahu that the legislation needs to be approved through three readings in the Knesset before Rosh Hashanah, the report says.
The meeting between Netanyahu and Goldknopf occurred at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, with the involvement of other senior officials from both sides.
As per the report, it was decided that a follow-up meeting will be held next week to track the progress of the law’s preparation. The Draft Law has faced challenges, including opposition from Likud members MK Amichai Chikli, Moshe Sa’ada, and Dan Illouz. They addressed a letter to the Prime Minister after the outbreak of the war, stating, “We can no longer calmly accept a situation in which certain groups in society take the burden of security onto their shoulders, with its heavy price, while other groups in the nation of Israel continue to live their routines.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared that he would not back the law unless it garnered extensive support, including from opposition members.
Earlier, Netanyahu had assured the chareidi party leaders that he would endorse a private bill granting exemptions from military service for yeshiva students. In June, the Knesset revived a draft law originally proposed by MK Benny Gantz in the previous Knesset. However, shortly afterward, the Supreme Court mandated that all yeshiva students be drafted and that funding for their yeshivas be terminated. UTJ subsequently pressured Netanyahu to pass the Draft Law by the end of the Knesset’s summer session, but this goal was not achieved.
{Matzav.com Israel}