From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Katz vows his Haredi draft bill will both encourage ‘significant service’ and preserve Torah world
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. 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"
Addressing the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Defense Minister Israel Katz says that he will not advance any legislation relating to ultra-Orthodox enlistment unless it meets two criteria.
The first is making sure that it allows Haredim to engage in “real and significant” service and the second is the preservation of the “Torah world” — a reference to the network of full-time yeshivas that form an integral part of ultra-Orthodox society.
Katz says that the IDF would seek to enlist 4,800 soldiers this year, 5,700 the following year and a specified amount each subsequent year, rising to 50 percent of eligible Haredim in seven years. Civilian service in organizations such as the Zaka volunteer disaster response group will not count toward these numbers.
There will be sanctions on draft dodgers, and young men will age out of IDF service and no longer need exemptions at 26, he adds.
Katz proposes financial sanctions on both educational institutions, such as yeshivas, and individuals, should the annual enlistment quotas from the ultra-Orthodox community under his conscription plan not be met.
This includes personal sanctions on all those designated for service, including those studying in yeshivas, he says.
“I was convinced during the discussions that there should be sanctions not only on the yeshivas but also on the students, and this is something that has not been the case to date,” he states.
