Netanyahu Promises Defense Minister Vote on Draft Exemption Law but Skips Final Session

Defense Minister Israel Katz initially opposed advancing a law exempting yeshiva students from arrest but faced intense pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office to change his stance. Netanyahu promised Katz he would attend the Knesset vote on the law, but ultimately did not show up. This absence coincided with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana's refusal to personally oversee the controversial vote, despite demands from Netanyahu's office.

Senior IDF officials have sharply criticized the law, arguing that military needs were sidelined for narrow political interests. They condemned the deal with ultra-Orthodox parties that led to the law's approval as ignoring professional military recommendations and described the legislative process as a "political campaign on the Chief of Staff's back." IDF officers also attacked Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth (Likud), calling him a "liar" for systematically disregarding the army's professional objections and operational needs.

Bismuth countered that the Chief of Staff's appeal to political leadership came too late, after the committee had completed its deliberations and voted on the bill. He noted that the IDF had the bill's wording for three weeks and participated in all discussions. Bismuth also challenged the military's claim that arrests of yeshiva students led to actual enlistments, stating no such cases were presented. Regarding the Chief of Staff's concern that the law would divert resources during ongoing conflict, Bismuth argued that ineffective arrests were the real distraction.

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir sent an urgent letter to Netanyahu, Katz, and Bismuth opposing the law, which grants yeshiva students extended exemption from arrest, investigation, or enforcement. Zamir emphasized the law would not improve manpower shortages but rather incentivize draft evasion by offering immunity from criminal proceedings. He also opposed the law's provision to establish a military committee to determine yeshiva student status, citing damage to troop morale, lack of military expertise in such assessments, and the burden on the IDF amid ongoing multi-front warfare.

Zamir urged immediate removal of the committee mechanism if the law passes, warning it would impose a heavy organizational burden and distract from critical operational tasks. The law is set for a second and third reading in the Knesset following the committee's approval.