From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 19, 2025
Liberman calls on opposition heads to formulate alternate Haredi enlistment bill
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"
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman appeals to the heads of the opposition to come together and formulate a joint universal conscription bill to serve as an alternative to the ultra-Orthodox enlistment legislation currently making its way through the Knesset.
Addressing reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Liberman complains that the government is engaged in the widespread mobilization of “PTSD-suffering” reservists who have already served hundreds of days since October 7 while “at the same time trying to exempt an entire population [the ultra-Orthodox] from military or civilian service with the help of the evasion law.”
“It is important that all Zionist parties formulate a single conscription law for everyone — not just the ultra-Orthodox, but for all citizens of Israel,” Liberman states, calling for the formulation of a bill “that will result in conscription for everyone – without targets, without quotas, and without exemptions.”
If the other opposition party leaders sign on, “within a week, we can finish a bill and submit it,” Liberman asserts.
Asked for comment, a spokesman for The Democrats party chief Yair Golan says that it will “appoint one or more MKs as a representative on the proposed committee.”
Liberman also declares that he has submitted an official complaint to the Justice Ministry and police regarding ultra-Orthodox leaders and organizations encouraging draft evasion.
Asked by The Times of Israel if he had followed up on his criticism of Haredi leaders, Liberman declares that he has already sent two letters but has not yet received any response.
“If there is no response to the second letter, then we will turn to the High Court of Justice,” he says.
Asked who he specifically named in his complaint, Liberman demurs, merely stating that his letters contained “all the details of all the cases.”
Asserting that “the proof here is very simple,” Liberman says that he is “surprised that the Justice Ministry, the Israel Police and the Israel Defense Forces are not acting in accordance with the law.”
He adds, “You cannot say that you are lacking 10,000 soldiers and not exercise any enforcement on the issue of deserters and evaders.”
The Times of Israel Community.