From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Knesset legal adviser says MKs must disclose conflict of interest before vote on bill freezing Haredi enlistment
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.
Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik says lawmakers with close relatives who stand to directly benefit from legislation freezing the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders must disclose a potential conflict of interest before participating in today’s debate or vote.
The Haredi-backed bill, currently being debated in the Knesset ahead of a final vote today, would grant tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders immunity from arrest until November 30 and extend that protection to those who become eligible for military service after the law takes effect.
In a letter to MKs ahead of the vote, Afik writes that the bill “raises concern over a conflict of interest, or at the very least the appearance of a conflict of interest” because it would freeze arrests, halt prosecutions and suspend ongoing legal proceedings against draft evaders.
She says any lawmaker with a child or grandchild who has already been issued an arrest warrant for draft evasion or desertion, has been arrested, or is already subject to enforcement or legal proceedings and “intends to participate in the debate or vote on the bill must make a proper disclosure before the vote,” while stressing they may still vote afterward.
She adds that no disclosure is required for MKs whose relatives are draft evaders but have not yet been issued arrest warrants or become subject to legal proceedings.
The Times of Israel Community.