From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 10, 2024
Lapid: Government ‘abandoning IDF fighters’ by okaying Haredi ‘evasion’ law
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"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for “abandoning” Israeli servicemen in order to pass a draft “evasion” law on behalf of the ultra-Orthodox.
“The right-wing government is going to promote evasion from the IDF today. To promote refusal. The government today is abandoning the IDF fighters in the middle of the battle in favor of petty, self-interested, cowardly and cynical politics,” Lapid says ahead of a vote on a bill to lower the age at which yeshiva students are exempted from military service.
Decrying the government as “hypocritical,” Lapid notes that the ultra-Orthodox parties, which initially vehemently opposed the same proposed law as damaging to their community’s way of life in 2022, are now supporting it.
“May they never tell us again that they have principles. Their only principle is to evade and live at the expense of others. Let them not tell us that they represent the Torah world in the Knesset. They do not. They represent cowards who run away from military service in time of war,” he continues.
“At least the ultra-Orthodox do not claim to represent the fighters. At least they don’t pretend to be on the side of the IDF and its heroes. The great disgrace is of all those who call themselves right-wing people, who say they are the representatives of the combatants,” Lapid argues, adding that “anyone who votes today in favor of this law, anyone who raises their hand — is an accomplice in the crime.”
Lapid also takes aim directly at Netanyahu, stating that “every Jewish mother will know that this prime minister, who when there are operational successes runs to take pictures in a hospital like an Instagram model, is the first to abandon the IDF fighters when it serves his political interest.”
Asked if he envisions any competition for the de facto leadership of the opposition in the wake of National Unity party Benny Gantz’s exit from the coalition yesterday, Lapid says that he intends to “work together” to topple the government.
He says Gantz’s resignation marks one of the first cracks to appear in the coalition and as long as he had been part of the government it was impossible to topple Netanyahu. However, while now possible, Lapid adds this “won’t happen in a day.”
Turning to those on the right who say that only military force will free the hostages, Lapid argues that to bring all of the hostages home, Israel would need to launch 30 more raids like the one conducted over the weekend — something he says will not happen.
