Israeli Parliament Faces Opposition Over Law Suspending Arrests of Draft Dodgers

The Israeli Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approved a controversial bill to suspend the arrest of draft dodgers, particularly targeting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, moving it to a full parliamentary vote. The legislation has sparked fierce opposition from various political factions, with some coalition members expected to vote against it, risking a narrow or failed passage.

Several coalition MKs, including Sharren Haskel, Yuli Edelstein, Dan Illouz, Eli Dellal, and Moshe Solomon, have publicly opposed the bill. Opposition leaders harshly criticized the law, accusing the government of creating a divide between different segments of Israeli society and disrespecting soldiers. Opposition MK Merav Michaeli called the law "filth," condemning it for discriminating between secular and ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers.

Coalition members defended the bill, with MK Boaz Bismuth attacking the committee's legal advisor for allegedly overstepping by opposing the bill and ignoring military and governmental perspectives. Bismuth emphasized the need to reduce societal divisions and promote ultra-Orthodox enlistment in the IDF. MK Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism praised the bill as a message against the arrest of Torah students.

Prominent political figures voiced their stances: former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot condemned the government for encouraging draft evasion and called for responsible military service policies. Yamina leader Naftali Bennett labeled the bill as an insult to soldiers and vowed to reverse it. Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu called the law illegitimate and promised to repeal it in the next government. Yoaz Hendel, head of the Reservists' Party, criticized the coalition for enabling draft evasion during a critical security period.

The bill's fate now rests with the Knesset plenum, where its approval remains uncertain due to internal coalition dissent and strong opposition resistance.