Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee Criticizes IDF Chief's Letter Against Soldier Arrest Freeze Law

The office of Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, sharply criticized a letter from IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir opposing the law to freeze arrests of military deserters. The letter was sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz only on the evening before the law was set for a Knesset vote, after the committee had already completed discussions and approved the bill for second and third readings.

Bismuth's office noted that the IDF had the draft of the temporary provision for about three weeks and its representatives participated in all committee discussions. However, the written opposition from the military was published precisely on the day the law was to be voted on in the plenum. The office stated, "If the goal was to amend the wording, the IDF had three weeks to do so. It is hard to see this timing as a coincidence."