Likud Agrees to Shas Demand for Draft Law Before Government Formation

Shas party member Yoav Ben-Tzur declared that Shas will demand the passage of a draft exemption law before the next Israeli government is sworn in. Speaking on the "120 and One" podcast, Ben-Tzur emphasized that this condition is non-negotiable for Shas to join the coalition. Likud spokesperson Guy Levy confirmed on Kol Barama radio that the party aims to legislate the draft law as part of coalition agreements prior to government formation, calling it "definitely the direction."

The draft law, often referred to as the "draft law," seeks to regulate the exemption of thousands of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from military service. The previous coalition failed to pass this legislation and instead enacted a temporary law preventing the police and IDF from arresting draft dodgers for three months. Ben-Tzur criticized Shas's 2022 decision not to sign a coalition agreement requiring the exemption law's passage first, saying that if they had, "everything would have been settled without any problems."

Ben-Tzur also reaffirmed Shas's commitment to continue aligning with Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud after the upcoming elections, stating, "We are going with the religious bloc. We are believers and do not see ourselves sitting with the other side. Even among brothers there are quarrels, but they remain brothers. We feel part of the base." This underscores Shas's intention to maintain its alliance within the right-wing religious political camp.

The demand for the draft exemption law before government formation highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding military conscription of ultra-Orthodox Israelis and the political leverage Shas holds in coalition negotiations. The next steps will involve Likud and Shas formalizing this agreement as they work toward establishing the new government.