Coalition to ask court to further extend deadline on ultra-Orthodox draft bill

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition will ask the High Court of Justice to further extend the deadline it set for the government to pass a new law on ultra-Orthodox enlistment to the Israel Defense Forces.

The highly contentious bill was scheduled to go up for a final vote in the Knesset plenum on December 2, when the current court-imposed deadline expires, but coalition party leaders decided Sunday in a meeting to request a postponement, Hebrew-language media reported.

It was not immediately clear how long a delay the party leaders were seeking.

The contentious legislation, written by the Defense Ministry, sets minimum yearly targets for ultra-Orthodox conscription that, if not met, would result in financial sanctions on the yeshivas, or rabbinical seminaries, where they study. At the same time, it also formalizes exemptions for the vast majority of yeshiva students.

Many in the ultra-Orthodox community shun the mandatory military service that applies to most Israelis, and the community has historically enjoyed blanket exemptions from the army in favor of religious seminary studies.

Last September, the High Court ruled that a 2015 version of Israel’s draft law granting most yeshiva students draft exemptions was unconstitutional, and gave lawmakers a year to institute new guidelines for ultra-Orthodox enlistment.

The court later gave Netanyahu’s government until December 2 to pass an amended version of the bill regulating IDF enlistment. If new legislation is not voted into law, current deferral regulations will expire with the deadline, and thousands of yeshiva students will find themselves unable to renew their deferments, making them eligible to be drafted by the IDF.

Netanyahu is reportedly confident that he can pass the new version of the law even without the support of the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties, by banking on the support of the secularist opposition parties Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beytenu, both of whom supported the legislation in its first, initial vote in parliament.

Nevertheless, those opposition factions may wish to capitalize on the coalition’s vulnerable status — reduced to the minimal majority of 61 MKs after Avigdor Liberman resigned earlier this month as defense minister and withdrew his Yisrael Beytenu party from the coalition — and oppose the bill in a move that could topple the government.

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid on Sunday slammed the intention to request a delay, saying the only purpose was for Netanyahu to “preserve his seat.”

“The enlistment law can be passed this week,” he said in a statement.

“Netanyahu capitulates to the ultra-Orthodox time and time again,” added Lapid.

Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners have previously threatened to topple the government if the amended version submitted by the Defense Ministry is implemented.

But last month, United Torah Judaism’s rabbinical council said the key faction did not intend to bring down Netanyahu’s government over the issue. A source within the party told The Times of Israel the Council of Torah Sages of Agudath Yisrael agreed to consider backing the amended bill if “a few changes are made.”