Coalition whip: We will pass IDF draft law in next Knesset before continuing with overhaul

Coalition whip Ofir Katz says that the government plans to pass an IDF draft law in the next Knesset session before it resumes legislating the rest of the judicial overhaul.

“The IDF draft law will pass in the next Knesset session” before the overhaul continues, the Likud MK is quoted as saying by Channel 12 news.

Katz adds that it’s clear the issue of Haredi enlistment in the IDF, which has been debated for decades, needs to be sorted out once and for all. “It’s not like until now the IDF has been drafting all Haredim, and now Likud is coming to overturn that. The situation now is that this issue needs to be settled.”

Haredi parties have demanded the coalition move ahead with an override clause — despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly saying it is off the table — in an attempt to preempt the High Court overturning any such draft law, as it has done repeatedly in the past.

In recent days, however, reports have emerged that Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin are seeking to pause the overhaul due to Haredi discomfort with the fierce public backlash.