Knesset speaker: No vacation until MKs pass universal draft legislation
Reversing his stance, Reuven Rivlin plans to extend current session to resolve ultra-Orthodox enlistment fracas; Israel Beytenu to submit ‘schtick-free’ draft bill on Wednesday
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
In a sharp volte-face, Knesset Speaker MK Reuven Rivlin said Monday he would extend the current parliamentary session until details of a new law on general conscription were finalized.
Rivlin (Likud) said at a meeting of the Knesset’s presiding officers that he would continue the session past the end of July and into August, if necessary.
“This is a matter that requires a decision, and the Knesset cannot cut short its deliberations to take a break,” he said.
The announcement reverses a statement from Rivlin on Sunday in which he said that the seemingly insoluble differences of opinion on a new law for national service would only be resolved after the next elections.
Though the current 94-member coalition is stable on paper, its partners are on opposite sides of the universal draft issue, with Kadima threatening to leave if the government doesn’t adopt the recommendations of the Plesner report on the issue and the religious parties adamant on sticking to the status quo.
Legislating a universal draft was a central condition of Kadima’s dramatic move from the opposition to the coalition two months ago following the election of Shaul Mofaz as Kadima head.
Kadima and Likud lawmakers have struggled for several weeks to draft a new law, coming to loggerheads over issues of who will have to serve when, and punishments for draft-dodgers.
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman said his party planned to submit a new universal draft bill to the Knesset on Wednesday. Liberman said that the bill was simple, “with no tricks or schticks,” and required all 18-year-old Israelis to enlist in military or national service.
The Times of Israel Community.