Lieberman's 2018 Draft Law Offers Easier Path for Haredi Draft Evasion
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Avigdor Lieberman's 2018 draft law proposal is being revisited as a potential basis for agreements on Haredi conscription. The proposal featured a lower exemption age of 24 and significantly lower conscription targets compared to the later "Bismuth Law." Crucially, the Lieberman Law avoided personal sanctions on Haredi students, focusing instead on institutional penalties, making it a more lenient option that some Haredi factions see as a viable compromise.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman's 2018 draft law is being considered as a compromise for Haredi conscription.
- The 2018 proposal set the exemption age at 24, lower than the 26 in the later Bismuth Law.
- Lieberman's plan targeted around 4,700 conscripts annually, far fewer than the Bismuth Law's goals.
- The 2018 law avoided personal sanctions on Haredi students, unlike the Bismuth Law's strict measures.
- Haredi factions view the 2018 proposal as a more flexible and acceptable basis for agreement.
A comparative analysis of the 2018 "Lieberman Law" and the later "Bismuth Law" reveals that the former, proposed by former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, is significantly more lenient towards the Haredi community and Torah scholars. The Lieberman Law suggested lowering the exemption age from military service to 24, compared to 26 in the Bismuth Law, allowing for an earlier and smoother transition into the workforce for those not pursuing further religious studies.
The draft targets for conscription also differed dramatically. The Lieberman Law proposed a gradual increase to only about 4,700 conscripts annually within three years, with an initial target of 3,348 for the army and 650 for civilian service. In contrast, the Bismuth Law demanded significantly higher numbers, starting at 4,800 in the first year, reaching 6,500 by the third, and aiming for 50% of the Haredi draft cohort within five years, with 10% designated for security forces.
The most substantial difference lies in the sanctions. While both laws included institutional sanctions on yeshiva budgets for failing to meet targets, the Lieberman Law completely avoided personal sanctions on Torah students. It focused solely on financial penalties against educational institutions and did not introduce new enforcement mechanisms or infringe upon the rights of individual students.
The Bismuth Law, however, introduced severe personal sanctions. These included prohibiting the issuance of driver's licenses and delaying exit from the country until age 23, as well as revoking income tax credits. Further stages involved the cancellation of daycare subsidies, public transport discounts, and eligibility for subsidized housing programs.
Ultimately, the 2018 Lieberman proposal, once considered a red line, appears to offer a more flexible framework than subsequent proposals. The absence of personal sanctions, coupled with realistic targets and a lower exemption age, makes it a potential basis for agreement among Haredi political factions seeking to avoid direct harm to individuals.
