Eisenkot vows to not compromise on comprehensive IDF draft law for all

By Sam Sokol 12 August 2026, 8:47 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Gadi Eisenkot (C), head of the Yashar political party, holds a meet-and-greet with people at a coffee shop as part of his campaign ahead of Israel’s general elections in Jerusalem on August 12, 2026. (ilia YEFIMOVICH/AFP)

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot pushes back against criticism of his Haredi conscription plan, denying that he intends to grant exemptions to 30% of eligible ultra-Orthodox youth each year and insisting that he intends to “cancel the 1977 agreement that grants exemptions.”

Speaking with Channel 12, the former IDF chief of staff says that “there is a draft law for all citizens of Israel for military, national and civil service” and that he only plans on exempting 3% of exceptional prodigies in Torah, science, music and sports out of every draft cohort.

“I meet with Haredi Knesset members and I tell them that there is one issue on which there will be no compromise… even at the cost of going to another election,” he says.

This morning, former Shin Bet chief and Yashar party Knesset candidate Yoram Cohen sparked harsh criticism from the leaders of the anti-Netanyahu “Change Bloc” after he told the Kan public broadcaster that under the next government, potentially up to 30% of Haredim will be exempt from military conscription. In response, former prime minister Naftali Bennett countered that “there will be no compromises on recruitment” and that “whoever doesn’t serve the state won’t get a single shekel from the state their whole life.”

Speaking with Channel 12, Eisenkot also appears to call for an end to independent Arab and ultra-Orthodox school systems, stating that “we need to give three to four years to the entire education system in the State of Israel to transition to the state education system” and that “Haredi education will have to enter this framework.”

Eisenkot also dismisses concerns that he will end up forming a minority government, stating that if the anti-Netanyahu bloc only receives 52-58 out of the 61 mandates needed to form a coalition, “we will decide to deal only with issues that have very broad national consensus, and we will turn to the Zionist, statesmanlike parties. And on the day after Netanyahu, of course, including the Likud and other parties.”