MK Boaz Bismuth Bars Reservist Leader From Speaking at Debate on Haredi Draft Evasion Arrests

Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, refused to allow Omri Ronen, a leading figure in the "Brothers in Arms" organization and a Democratic Party primary candidate, to speak during a committee discussion on freezing arrests of draft-dodging Haredi men. Bismuth stated, "I do not allow draft evaders to speak. The draft evasion is out." In response, Ronen, who fought in the October 7 conflict, said, "You can send me to battle, but here you cannot let me speak?" The exchange highlights tensions within Israeli society over the issue of Haredi military service and the political debate surrounding it.