IDF Draft law crisis: Ultra-Orthodox parties threaten to escalate Knesset voting boycott

The ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) political parties in Israel are threatening to escalate their voting boycott as early as today (Monday) if there is no progress in submitting the IDF Draft Exemption Law. According to a Kan Reshet Bet report on Monday morning, they will refuse to vote with the coalition in the Knesset plenum – even on government-backed legislation.

If the boycott is expanded, members of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party will have to decide whether to vote today in the plenum to approve the appointment of their party member, Knesset Member Israel Eichler, as Minister of Housing. It is expected that they will support Eichler's appointment, but a final decision will be made after a meeting.

Sources from UTJ and the Shas party say they believe the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuli Edelstein, will submit the draft bill, and that it could be advanced by the end of the summer session in three weeks.

Opposition members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee stated that they intend to demand committee discussions on various sections of the bill and use parliamentary tools to block its progress. They added that Edelstein’s draft will not result in any significant Haredi conscription and accused him of caving to pressure. Knesset Member Moshe "Kinley" Tur-Paz said that submitting a "draft-dodging" law after nearly two years of fighting in Gaza is "a spit in the face" of IDF reserve soldiers.

Last night, Kan News reported Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu present a draft version of the conscription law as early as yesterday, which caused a delay in the prime minister’s flight to the United States. Netanyahu contacted Edelstein, who told him the draft would only be ready “in two more days.” Netanyahu responded: “Can’t we at least show them (the Haredim) a draft?”

Netanyahu and Edelstein agreed to share a draft of the agreement with former Housing Minister Ariel Atias, representing Shas. However, Edelstein made it clear to the prime minister that he is not committing to the current draft, noting that a final version will be submitted “within the next two days.” Haredi representatives responded that the crisis will only be resolved once the final draft is formally submitted.