Latest news with #haredi
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bismuth elected FADC head, ousting Edelstein over haredi draft bill
Edelstein, prior to the vote, published for the first time the draft of the conscription law, which was sent to committee members. Likud MK Boaz Bismuth was elected as chairperson of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday after the ousting of former committee head Likud MK Yuli Edelstein. Heated clashes on the topic of Bismuth's appointment and the legislation surrounding the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription law took place for over five hours before the first round of votes was conducted at the Knesset's House Committee. Bismuth was then officially appointed by the FADC in a second vote. The controversial replacement came after a fallout in negotiations over a haredi IDF conscription law proposal, which followed the departure of the two haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, from the government in July. Haredi politicians had opposed Edelstein's attempts to insert enforcement and oversight mechanisms to ensure that haredim who receive an exemption from IDF service are actually studying in yeshivot, and Edelstein refused to enable a law to pass that would de facto enable the majority of eligible haredi men to evade service. Just before the meeting began, Edelstein released for the first time the version of the conscription law that led to the controversy and his ultimate dismissal. Edelstein stood firmly by the bill he had drafted, defending his reasoning for going ahead with it despite the strong opposition from the haredi parties. The draft of the law set graduated conscription targets for yeshiva students over five years, with a gradual annual conscription requirement starting at 5,760 soldiers in 2025 and rising to 9,500 soldiers in the fifth year. The change won't achieve anything, Edelstein claims 'From the start, I said this wouldn't be a fake draft law,' Edelstein explained, referring to the previous arrangement established by law for the deferral of haredi recruitment, which expired in 2023. 'I fought for a fair draft law, but the haredi leadership refused. Changing the chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee won't change anything,' he continued. 'This removal will only lead to chaos, especially as the IDF begins enforcement operations. Today's vote is the final nail in the coffin of the draft law. I appeal to the serving public – this issue is in my blood, even if we've had disagreements. I promise not to abandon you and to continue working for a real draft law, in the committee or outside.' UTJ co-leader Yitzhak Goldknopf told the committee that his party 'did not want a draft-dodging law.' 'We wanted a lasting arrangement that would allow anyone whose Torah is their faith to continue studying. Even those who sit and study Torah day and night – we must ensure that they can continue to learn,' he said. MKs attending the meeting repeatedly raised the issue of a lack of manpower in the IDF, and soldiers and reservists are no longer able to bear the load without the conscription of further soldiers from the haredi population. Yesh Atid MK Meirav Cohen condemned the move to replace Edelstein as Israel's 'soldiers and reservists are collapsing under the burden.' 'There is no clause in the rules about replacing a chair who has done nothing wrong. You're setting a dangerous precedent. Replacing the chair now means dragging out the process again [for the conscription bill to be passed]. What message does this send to the soldiers in the field?' In strong defense of Bismuth's appointment, Likud MK Tally Gotliv expressed, 'For over a year, I've been saying the chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee should be replaced. He prevented us from overseeing the military leadership. We've had 40 discussions with no outcome. We will enact a law that will lead to haredi enlistment.' Gotliv also underscored her belief that 'Bismuth has a deep understanding of the Middle East and a solid security outlook.' Bereaved families of hostages and soldiers slammed the MKs attending the committee meeting, calling for the return of the hostages, and many calling for haredi conscription as well. A large sign was held up on the committee room's table with the words 'Where is Rom?' referring to the hostage Rom Braslavski, who was seen suffering from severe hunger in a recently published Palestinian Islamic Jihad video. Eliav Breuer contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Future of haredi draft law to shift as new FADC chair Bismuth calls for 'new path'
The draft of the law set graduated conscription targets for yeshiva students over five years, with a gradual annual conscription requirement. Even more questions surround the future of the controversial haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription bill in the aftermath of MK Boaz Bismuth's appointment as the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman. MK Yuli Edelstein, who had led the efforts to pass the bill that would enforce the haredi conscription, was officially ousted on Monday. Edelstein's replacement with Bismuth was due to the fallout in negotiations over the haredi law proposal, which had led to the departure of the two haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, from the government in July. Upon Bismuth's appointment, he immediately stated his intention to head on a 'new path' with the haredi draft. Expressing full confidence in his abilities, Bismuth stated, 'We, the elected officials, represent the full spectrum of opinions in society. There are disagreements among us – sometimes deep ones – but I am not alarmed by that.' Bismuth also expressed his belief in reaching a 'historic solution' to the issue of haredi conscription. 'The connection between ancient tradition and Torah study, the state and the IDF, its defensive force, is a winning combination. We must reach a historic solution that will lead us toward a new path,' he added. 'The enemy does not differentiate between Jewish communities. We are all in the same boat,' Bismuth said. The day following his appointment, Bismuth held meetings with reservists and had scheduled full days of meetings ahead of him with the aim of 'hearing all voices,' his spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post. Bismuth also showed indications of wanting to speed the process of writing the new conscription law by requesting that the Knesset hold discussions on the bill during the last two weeks of August, when it is fully in recess and no longer convenes committee meetings. However, prior to the vote for Bismuth's appointment, heated clashes took place in the Knesset's House Committee, as MKs expressed opposition to Bismuth's appointment due to worries about what would become of the draft law. Some MKs also expressed their belief that Bismuth did not suit the role of FADC chair. Bismuth had previously been the chair of the Knesset's National Security Committee. Before his time in the Knesset, which began in 2022, he was a journalist and had been the editor-in-chief of the Israel Hayom daily. In addition to a long career in journalism, Bismuth also served as Israel's ambassador to Mauritania between 2004 and 2008. Edelstein: The Knesset would no longer be the same During the heated discussion before Bismuth's appointment, Edelstein told all those attending to 'remember this day' because after it, 'the Knesset would no longer be the same.' Edelstein stood firmly by the outline of the conscription law that he had worked on, which he released to the public for viewing for the first time just before the meeting took place. The draft of the law set graduated conscription targets for yeshiva students over five years, with a gradual annual conscription requirement starting at 5,760 soldiers in 2025 and rising to 9,500 soldiers in the fifth year. While Edelstein's version of the conscription law had flaws, 'it was the best one that we had so far,' the director of the Israel Democracy Institute's Center for Shared Society, Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, told the Post on Tuesday. 'From the start, I said this wouldn't be a fake draft law,' Edelstein explained at the meeting, referring to the previous arrangement established by law for the deferral of haredi recruitment, which expired in 2023. 'I fought for a fair draft law, but the haredi leadership refused. Changing the chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee won't change anything,' he said. 'This removal will only lead to chaos, especially as the IDF begins enforcement operations. Today's vote is the final nail in the coffin of the draft law,' Edelstein said. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State will halt funding for at-risk haredi yeshivot with students who don't draft
The petition notes that many of these students are not studying Torah in a consistent manner, and often work off-the-books - in violation of the conditions for military exemption. The State of Israel will stop funding ultra-Orthodox (haredi) yeshivot designated specifically for at-risk youth that don't draft to the IDF, a Supreme Court ruling handed down on Monday revealed. The hearing was on a petition filed by NGO Israel Hofsheet against the funding itself. The petition came following a previous High Court of Justice ruling forbidding the state from funding yeshivot that didn't settle their status with the IDF. The so-called 'dropout yeshivot' are the Noham institutions for disengaged haredi youth. Starting from the upcoming school year - in September, funding will be discontinued for students in these yeshivot who have not resolved their status with the military. The petition notes that many of these students are not studying Torah in a consistent manner, and often work off-the-books - in violation of the conditions for military exemption. Some NIS 35m. has been allocated by the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry to these institutions. 'This ruling constitutes another significant affirmation of the principle established in the Supreme Court's ruling on the draft exemption: once the legal framework for exemption collapses, the state loses its legal basis for supporting activities tied to military deferment, including yeshivas that enable and facilitate the violation of the law,' said Israel Hofsheet. Earlier this month, the IDF began to summon all 54,000 remaining eligible haredim for IDF service. It was the largest-ever coordinated mass pursuit of the sector, and is scheduled to actualize the recruitment 24,000 haredim have already been summoned Over the past year, 24,000 haredim have already been summoned, though only a miniscule number actually showed up. All this comes against the backdrop of the weariness and mental, emotional and psychological challenges faced by soldiers and reservists who have been continually serving in the IDF since 2023. The issue of suicides related to these challenges has recently reached alarming heights. 'We will continue to do what the government refuses to do - put a complete stop to government subsidies for draft evasion, down to the last shekel. It's time for equality,' said Israel Hofsheet executive director Uri Keidar. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
IDF preparing to intensify clampdown on haredi draft dodgers
The IDF has sent out 80,000 draft orders to haredi men and is preparing for large-scale arrest operations nationwide, in coordination with the Israel Police. The IDF is preparing to intensify measures against haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft dodgers, shortening the period after which draft dodgers can be arrested, N12 reported on Wednesday. The IDF has sent out at least 54,000 draft orders to haredi men over the past month and is preparing for large-scale arrest operations nationwide, in coordination with the Israel Police. The IDF's current criteria state that anyone who avoids the draft for more than 540 days will be sent to prison, while those who evade for a shorter period will undergo a prompt trial process before being drafted. The military is ramping up the draft enforcement in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, when thousands of haredim are expected to travel to Uman, Ukraine, by creating a system to aid in arresting draft dodgers at Ben-Gurion Airport. In September, the IDF will hold a partial amnesty period, allowing all draft dodgers to enlist without being arrested, in exchange for a full year of regular military service, along with other conditions, N12 reported. In these instances, the charge of draft dodging will be amended, and the draft dodger will be issued with a conditional sentence. In total, the army has now issued approximately 78,000 summonses to haredi men between the ages of 17.5 and 28 during the 2024 draft year. The IDF clarified that this stage constitutes only the 'first order' — an initial call to appear at a recruitment office. Failure to respond triggers a second and third order, followed by a warning, and ultimately an arrest warrant. This large-scale draft effort coincided with a high-level emergency conference of haredi rabbinic leaders, who declared total opposition to the draft. 'It is forbidden to go into a military framework under any circumstances,' read a joint statement. 'Every young man and woman must stand firm in their faith and not be tempted to go into the army.' Head of United Torah Judaism's Degel HaTorah faction MK Moshe Gafni criticized Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara for her role in the new enforcement procedure. "Baharav-Miara declared herself the main fighter against the world of Torah, its students, and the upholders of the Jewish people. We will not allow anyone to prevent a yeshiva student from studying Torah or to stop his learning. The Jewish people are educated by the trials of history, both near and far, where attempts to prevent Torah study were made, and their end is known," Gafni said. Rabbi Meir Zvi Bergman, a senior figure in the Degel HaTorah faction of the United Torah Judaism party, warned that 'a haredi who enters the army does not leave it as a haredi' and called on students to resist, even at great personal cost. Shas chairman Arye Deri also criticized Baharav-Miara, saying that her "draconian Torah students in the Jewish state are a disgrace and a loss of mind. The use of extreme measures, akin to those used on criminals, against yeshiva students who uphold the Torah that sustains the world should shock every Jew who loves and respects the Torah. We will not allow anyone to interfere with a yeshiva student's devotion to his studies." Deri also told yeshiva students not to worry about draft orders, that they should sit and study, and that there are others who are taking care of it, as shown in video footage shared by a journalist from Army Radio. Israel will stop funding haredi yeshivot designated for draft dodgers Israel will stop funding haredi yeshivot designated specifically for at-risk youth who do not draft to the IDF, a Supreme Court ruling handed down on Monday revealed. The hearing was on a petition filed by NGO Israel Hofsheet against the funding itself. The petition came following a previous High Court of Justice ruling forbidding the state from funding yeshivot that didn't settle their status with the IDF. The so-called 'dropout yeshivot' are the Noham institutions for disengaged haredi youth. Starting from the upcoming school year - in September, funding will be discontinued for students in these yeshivot who have not resolved their status with the military. Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New haredi draft proposal by reservist NGOs gains traction on Knesset, still no clear framework
According to the proposal, all haredi men will receive draft summons and be required to serve in the IDF, although the outline does not explain why it would be limited to men. The Coalition of Service Organizations, a consortium of 18 nonprofits that is in favor of expanding the IDF's ranks, outlined its version of a framework for a haredi (ultra-Orthodox) IDF conscription bill during a Knesset conference on Tuesday. According to the proposal, all haredi men will receive draft summons and will be required to serve in the IDF. However, up to 3% of men in each graduating class will be able to receive an exemption as 'outstanding' Torah scholars, based on exams that will be open to whoever is interested. The outline did not detail why the exam would be open only to men. In addition, the proposal suggests differentiating between the current 'pool' of haredi candidates, comprised of men between the ages of 18 and 26, and haredi men who reach the age of 18. While the former category will receive an unspecified 'lenient arrangement' based on the IDF's needs, the latter will be subject to the full extent of the proposal. The rest of the draft included provisions similar to proposals that arose in meetings in the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee over the past year, such as financial sanctions on people who evade the draft without a proper exemption; retroactive funding for yeshivas based on the number of their conscripts; and opening units and frameworks within the army adapted to the haredi lifestyle. A full version of the bill proposal will be published as early as Wednesday, a member of one of the consortium said. The Coalition of Service Organizations includes a series of organizations without political affiliations, such as the IDF Reservists' Wives Forum, but also syndicates affiliated with specific parties or groups, such as the Likud and the Forum of National-Religious Reservists. According to a statement by this coalition of nonprofits, the framework was 'developed over recent months in collaboration with experts in law, national security, and civil society,' and offered a 'responsible, unifying, and practical solution to the issue of military conscription in Israel.' It added that the proposal was submitted on Tuesday to members of the Knesset from both the coalition and the opposition 'to promote it as broad legislation and to build support for it across all factions.' Government MKs propose new "Haredi draft" bill The conference was hosted by three MKs from the coalition: Dan Illouz (Likud), Moshe Passal (Likud), and Yitzhak Kreuzer (Otzma Yehudit). It is estimated that five other MKs from the coalition participated as well, as did eight or so from the opposition. The coalition of nonprofits criticized the recent decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove the defense panel's chairperson, MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud), from his position over Edelstein's fallout with the haredi parties in negotiations over the bill last week. 'Regardless of who chairs the committee, only an effective conscription law will succeed in passing in the Knesset,' the coalition said. Edelstein attended the Coalition of Service Organizations' conference in the Knesset and promised that the only law that would pass would be one that would lead to widespread conscription. He had met with representatives from this coalition numerous times in recent weeks. Solve the daily Crossword
