Netanyahu and Defense Minister Weigh Request to Back Freeze on Draft-Dodger Arrests

Ahead of a marathon of hearings to advance a proposed Basic Law on Torah study, part of the ultra-Orthodox parties' deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz are set to discuss another demand from the Haredi factions. The request is for Katz to issue a letter saying arrests of draft evaders do not help recruit ultra-Orthodox men, a step the parties hope would ease the way for broader legislation.

According to the report, the Haredi parties want the letter so they can overcome legal obstacles to a bill that would freeze arrests. One option being considered is for Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs to publish a supportive letter first, after which Katz would endorse the move. Military officials said the issue had not been discussed with the IDF beforehand, and Knesset legal adviser Shagit Afik has said she opposes both the move and the legislation.

The effort to accommodate the ultra-Orthodox comes as the IDF repeatedly warns about strain on reserve forces and regular soldiers during a war that has lasted nearly three years. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said today at a officers' course ceremony at Bahad 1, in front of Netanyahu, that “we need every fighter and fighter.” He has still not seen the laws he wants advanced.

More than three months ago, Zamir warned the cabinet that “the IDF is going to collapse into itself” if the government did not pass a law regulating ultra-Orthodox enlistment, change the reserves law, and extend compulsory service to 36 months. “The reserves will not hold up, I am raising 10 red flags,” he said. Participants said neither Netanyahu, Katz, nor any minister responded. The arrest-freeze bill is tied to a plan by Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the Belzer Rebbe, to suspend arrests of Haredi draft dodgers under a temporary order. It would cover anyone who has ignored military summonses for more than 500 days and could be arrested whenever encountering police or through proactive enforcement. With only 15 Knesset sitting days left before the final dissolution date of July 17, all Haredi legislation remains uncertain, even as the Basic Law on Torah study is only prepared for first reading and requires an accelerated schedule.