Gantz’s announcement last night caused quite a bit of tension within his party, among others vis-a-vis Eisenkot, since it was seen as a long and significant lifeline for Netanyahu. In the meeting that Minister Eisenkot held today (Monday) with military officials regarding the conscription law, he said that it is an invalid and corrupt law that has no right to exist.
More on the subject – N12 coverage
If retiring from the government depended on Eisenkot, this step might have been taken as early as yesterday morning, but the minister seems to understand that there are political constraints and therefore it is not realistic. However, he opposes giving the prime minister such a long rope, and unlike Gantz – sees things differently.
There are quite a few clarification talks regarding the bill, from which it appears that Gantz has not committed to resign at the end of the legislative process, but only to put it as a value issue on the table. Therefore, following Eisenkot’s words, he sharpens his words and puts the promotion of the law as a red line.
“We want a solution for conscription, not an exemption from conscription.” Haredim demonstration against conscription into the IDF | Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90
As mentioned, the state camp opposes the conscription bill that will be brought up for discussion at the cabinet meeting tomorrow (Tuesday), also in the new version submitted by Netanyahu. The chairman of the party, Minister Benny Gantz, said yesterday (Sunday) that “we want a solution to conscription, not an exemption from conscription.” He clarified that “promoting and enacting a law such as the government intends to pass will harm unity and harm security, so this is a red line. My friends and I cannot be part of a government that passes such a law at all, and especially during a war.”
The opposition to the amendment to the law, formulated in light of the ombudsman’s amendments, stems from several reasons – and mainly because there is no commitment to recruitment. The language in which the amendment is written is that the government will “examine routes”, “will examine battalion recruitment in August”, “will examine civil service routes”. The annual recruitment targets Not clear, when it is not clear what the target is at the beginning and what at the end. The party would like to see a certain recruitment already in the coming year, and from there move to recruitment targets that will increase every year.
In addition, the definition of “who is ultra-Orthodox” is vague. It is not clear if these are only yeshiva students or also graduates of ultra-orthodox educational institutions, who are usually people who leave the sector.
According to the High Court’s ruling from the 2015 law, the recruitment targets must be written in the law and not determined at government meetings. This was an explicit determination by the court. In the current situation, the government can set a certain target and then change the decision after a week. To set stable and clear recruitment targets, They should be included in the main legislation.
According to the amended recruitment bill, which is expected to come up for discussion at the government meeting that will be held tomorrow at 12:00, it was decided to define positive and negative incentives – and to reduce the budget of meetings that do not meet the goals and the recruitment rate that will be defined. Also, a new battalion will be established and with it civil-technological service tracks. The document also stated that the date of placing the law on the Knesset table was brought forward to May 22, in order to complete the legislation by June 30. It was also noted that if the government does not meet the targets, the decision will expire.
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In parallel with the formulation of the new draft, Prime Minister Netanyahu found himself today in a blitz of talks in preparation for the raising of the draft recruitment law in the government. The Prime Minister met with a series of Knesset members and ministers who may oppose the law – including a member of his party, Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter.
The main sections
- To establish annual recruitment targets, which will reflect the increase in the rate of servants among yeshiva students compared to the rate that exists today. The annual recruitment targets will be determined by the government at the time of approval of the draft law.
- Determine positive and negative financial incentives for meeting or not meeting the annual recruitment goals. As part of the negative incentives, the government will reduce financial support for institutions where yeshiva students study.
- The possibility of opening new tracks in the IDF, oriented towards future employment, including a new battalion and a civil-technological service track, will be examined.
- The government will instruct the Minister of Education to prepare now for the case of the completion of the legislative procedures, as well as for the case of the decision expiring – in accordance with the ombudsman’s demand.
- The government instructed the Minister of Defense to prepare right now for the recruitment of yeshiva students and graduates of ultra-orthodox educational institutions in any of the scenarios that are on the table.
- It was also stated in the draft law that if the decision expires, the “normative basis” for the instruction given to the Minister of Defense regarding the non-taking of procedures to recruit yeshiva students will be dropped.
- At the end of the document, the Prime Minister replied to the ombudsman’s claim that there is nothing new in the draft: “The proposed government outline, unfortunately, since it is supposed to be anchored in a permanent law and not as a temporary order, is not similar to previous arrangements that were rejected by the High Court in this aspect.”
To read the new resolution proposal – click here
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