MK Bismuth Criticizes IDF Chief's Letter Against Yeshiva Student Arrest Freeze Law

MK Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, sharply criticized a letter from IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi opposing a temporary law to freeze criminal proceedings against yeshiva students. Bismuth said the letter was sent only after the committee had completed its discussions and approved the bill for second and third readings, questioning the timing as suspicious rather than coincidental. He noted the bill’s wording was coordinated with the Defense Ministry and that IDF representatives participated in all discussions.

Bismuth added that the committee was never presented with a single case where arresting a draft-dodging yeshiva student led to actual enlistment. The classified and urgent letter from Kochavi was sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Bismuth himself the night before the bill was set to be debated in the Knesset plenum. Kochavi’s letter expressed unprecedented opposition from the IDF leadership to the proposed Security Service Law amendment concerning yeshiva students.

Bismuth also disputed Kochavi’s claim that the freeze would divert military resources during wartime, arguing instead that ineffective arrests waste attention and resources. The letter sparked political controversy: opposition parties supported Kochavi, while coalition members accused him of politicizing the military. The Knesset legal advisor also criticized the letter’s publication.

Prominent voices like Democratic Party chairman Yair Golan praised Kochavi for defending Israel’s security and military integrity against attempts by Netanyahu’s government to facilitate draft evasion. Israel Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman condemned the coalition for harming the IDF and national security to maintain political power, calling it a betrayal. Naftali Bennett, head of the Yachad party, said the letter revealed a clear divide between the IDF and the coalition, accusing the government of ignoring warnings ahead of the October conflict.