Liberman Rejects Broad Military Exemptions Proposed by Gadi Eizenkot's Party

Yoram Cohen, former head of the Shin Bet and member of the "Yashar" party led by Gadi Eizenkot, sparked controversy in the opposition over military conscription policies during a Wednesday interview on Kan Reshet Bet. Cohen discussed the party's plan regarding IDF recruitment, revealing it includes relatively broad exemptions from service. He explained that up to 3% of the total recruits, sometimes representing as much as 30% of the ultra-Orthodox community, could be exempted as "elite" individuals. Cohen also suggested that exemptions might extend beyond yeshiva students to other groups deemed "elite." This statement prompted an immediate response from Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party, which takes a hardline stance on conscription. Liberman declared that in the next government, everyone will serve in the IDF, with no exemptions granted to 30% or even 3% of the population.