From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 7, 2025
Gantz says he won’t join coalition; says public wants ‘real’ Haredi conscription, not current draft law being pushed
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
“We are not considering joining the coalition,” says Blue and White-National Unity leader Benny Gantz, speaking to reporters before a faction meeting.
He says that the Haredi military conscription law being promoted is not what the public supports, and 80% of the country wants “real” legislation on the matter.
The current proposed law, he says, is very similar to what the “Haredim and then-defense minister Gallant tried to present to us a year and a half ago,” and doesn’t address the needs of the IDF.
The army requires some 12,000 soldiers, he adds, and the government’s stalling on this issue has “harmed national security.”
“I would have expected the prime minister to have insisted on conscription [for Haredi young men] before his flight [to the US] and not to stall in order to preserve the coalition,” he adds.
He also notes that with the prime minister landing in Washington, the time has come to make a hostage deal, which should be the main goal of his trip.
“We have a window of opportunity to return the hostages and to reach a deal that will redesign the Middle East,” he says. “The prime minister has the backing of the nation and political backing to do this.”
The Times of Israel Community.