Bismuth Defends Haredi Draft Plan, Blames Opposition for Blocking It

As the government advances a Basic Law on Torah study and a bill to prevent the arrest of draft evaders, and while the IDF says it urgently needs more manpower, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chair Boaz Bismuth defended the emerging Haredi enlistment deal in an interview with Channel 13. He said, "We have never been this close to drafting Haredim," and added, "The law is excellent and I am proud of it."

Bismuth rejected claims that the effort had failed. "I did not fail, the irresponsible opposition sabotaged it," he said, arguing that the military itself must join the effort to make the plan work.

The comments came amid a broader political push to reshape the enlistment rules for ultra-Orthodox men, even as the army continues to warn of acute personnel shortages. The interview aired on Channel 13 on Friday evening, with the program running 7 minutes and 57 seconds.