Culture Minister Miki Zohar Sets Security and Draft Reform as Key to Election Victory

Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar of the Likud party outlined the critical political and security achievements needed for the coalition to succeed in the upcoming elections. In an interview with Walla, Zohar emphasized that without significant progress on two main public concerns, the Iranian threat and the ultra-Orthodox draft crisis, the coalition's electoral prospects would suffer. He stated, "To win the elections, significant developments must occur in security and the draft law."

On the security front, Zohar set a clear strategic goal: preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Regarding the draft issue, he highlighted the ongoing chaos due to the lack of effective conscription, particularly among the ultra-Orthodox community. Zohar distinguished between Torah students and those not engaged in religious study, asserting that conscripting the latter would alleviate manpower shortages in the Israeli Defense Forces.

Zohar also expressed support for recent legislative initiatives aimed at preventing the arrest of draft dodgers from the ultra-Orthodox sector, framing these measures as protecting the right to Torah study. He summarized his stance by saying, "Those who want to study should not have to enlist. Ultra-Orthodox individuals who do not study must enlist, which will also support the military."