Knesset Votes on Temporary Freeze of Haredi Draft Dodger Arrests Amid Controversy

The Knesset began voting on a controversial bill to temporarily freeze the arrests of Haredi draft dodgers for five months, following intense debates and delays on Tuesday. The legislation, a key initiative of the coalition in agreement with Haredi parties before the parliamentary recess, sparked heated exchanges in the plenum.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the session to cast his vote but was met with shouts of "Shame!" and "Go!" from opposition members. The vote was preceded by disputes over conflict of interest disclosures by Haredi MKs. Following a legal opinion from the Knesset's legal advisor, Shas and United Torah Judaism MKs submitted a general written disclosure without personal details, which was read aloud by the session chair, MK Limor Son Har-Melech.

The United Torah Judaism statement noted that many Torah scholars have adult children or grandchildren who might be affected by the bill. During the debate, MK Elazar Stern attempted to provide a disclosure but instead attacked Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, leading to an unusual intervention by the chair to halt Stern's remarks and order his removal from the podium.

Earlier, Minister Shlomo Karhi delayed proceedings with a lengthy speech that included sharp exchanges with opposition members. The bill aims to pause the enforcement against draft evasion among Haredi men, a deeply divisive issue in Israeli politics, reflecting ongoing tensions between the government and opposition over military conscription policies.