Lapid hits back at Gabbay over support for ultra-Orthodox enlistment bill

Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid hits back at claims made by his Zionist Union counterpart that he has “effectively joined the government” by announcing support for legislation addressing ultra-Orthodox military enlistment set for a vote later today.

Lapid says that Avi Gabbay is “playing political games rather than working for the good of the country.”

“The role of the opposition is not to oppose good and proper laws for the State of Israel and the people of Israel; the role of the opposition is to offer an alternative, our job is to offer the country a better direction and values,” Lapid tells his Yesh Atid faction meeting at the Knesset.

“A strong, optimistic vision is the way to be an opposition, and whoever wants to lead the country is first and foremost measured by the ability to show national responsibility,” he continues.

Rejecting Gabbay’s assessment that the current bill will not change ultra-Orthodox enlistment rates, Lapid says that coalition ultra-Orthodox parties “Shas and United Torah Judaism will vote against the bill because they know it will mean more being enlisted,” adding that the law is supported by the IDF and its chief of staff.

— Raoul Wootliff