MK Boaz Bismuth Criticizes IDF Chief of Staff Over Timing of Letter on Draft Freeze for Torah Students

Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, sharply criticized the IDF Chief of Staff for sending a letter regarding a temporary order to freeze criminal proceedings against Torah students only after the committee had completed its discussions and approved the bill. Bismuth noted that the IDF had the draft of the temporary order for about three weeks and participated throughout the committee's deliberations. He emphasized that the final version was coordinated with the Defense Ministry representatives and included changes requested by them. The committee even accepted two late amendments submitted at the Defense Ministry's request, incorporating them into the final text.

Bismuth questioned the timing of the letter, which was sent to the Defense Minister and Prime Minister just the day before the bill was scheduled for a Knesset plenary vote. He said, "The question arises why the letter was sent only after the discussions and vote were completed, and published precisely on the day the law was to be brought to the Knesset floor." He added that if the goal was to amend the text, the IDF had ample time to do so during the preceding weeks.

Furthermore, Bismuth claimed that during the discussions, IDF representatives failed to present a single case where the arrest of a Torah student eventually led to actual military enlistment, reinforcing the necessity of the temporary order approved by the committee.