Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Wednesday with Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri and Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein (Likud) to discuss key issues regarding Haredi enlistment. The talks focused on where to enforce mandatory service for the Haredi community and what accommodations could be made to ease their draft. The three leaders also explored ways to provide compensation for Israelis who do serve, particularly reservists who have spent hundreds of days in uniform since October 7, 2023.
Following the meeting, it was determined that the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee would pass 2 bills: the Conscription Act and the Serviceman Act.
The Conscription Act—formally titled the Defense Service Bill (Amendment No. 26, Inclusion of Yeshiva Students), 2022—is a legislative proposal aimed at amending the Defense Service Law to regulate the conscription and exemption of Haredi yeshiva students, commonly referred to as those “whose Torah is their vocation.” Critics have dubbed it the “Evasion Law,” arguing it institutionalizes unequal burden-sharing. The law was introduced following the expiration of previous amendments in July 2023, which left tens of thousands of Haredi yeshiva students refusing military service without legal authorization, undermining the principle of equal burden. The debate over the bill intensified amid heightened defense needs brought on by the war against Hamas and Hezbollah.
The bill on the status of individuals serving in military or national service (Serviceman Act) seeks to establish that those who complete such service will be entitled to a certificate of service, which will grant various benefits. Additionally, the bill proposes that preferences, benefits, or discounts given to certificate holders will be considered permissible and not discriminatory (preferential). It also includes provisions to grant combat reserve soldiers an income tax credit point. Furthermore, the bill stipulates that individuals who have not served in the military or national service will be ineligible for subsidies to cover tuition fees at post-secondary institutions.
Back to the Haredi draft – under the new Conscription Act, institutional sanctions will be imposed on the National Yeshivas Committee if it fails to meet established recruitment targets. These sanctions include the suspension of funding for yeshivas and their dormitories. In addition, personal sanctions will apply to individuals who do not enlist and lack official approval to defer their service—consistent with current legal provisions. Such individuals will also be denied benefits outlined in the Serviceman Act.
Netanyahu, Deri, and Edelstein also agreed that, contrary to Defense Minister Israel Katz’s demand for discretionary authority over sanctions, the enforcement of sanctions would be automatic, leaving no room for ministerial discretion.
Sources who attended the meeting told Israel Hayom that Aryeh Deri—representing the Sephardic Haredi community—supported the outline in principle and stated that he would attempt to bring the Ashkenazi Haredi leadership on board as well.
