Former defense minister Avigdor Liberman criticizes a High Court of Justice decision granting the government an additional six weeks to pass legislation regulating exemptions to mandatory military enlistment for ultra-Orthodox students.
“It is unfortunate the High Court did not put an ordered end to the sensitive and painful issue that has accompanied the state since its founding,” Liberman, who heads the Yisrael Beytenu party, wrote on his Twitter account.
“With its decision, the High Court gave the possibility for further foot-dragging of the survival government and turned the issue of enlistment into a problem of political bargaining that exposes the government to pressure and manipulation from anti-Zionist elements,” he adds.
Prior to his resignation last month as defense minister over the government’s policy vis-a-vis violence in Gaza, Liberman was a staunch supporter of a Defense Ministry-backed bill formalizing exemptions from IDF service for ultra-Orthodox seminary students.
Following Liberman’s resignation and withdrawing of his Yisrael Beytenu party, the coalition was left with a bare majority of 61 seats and now needs help from the opposition to pass the bill, which is opposed by the Agudat Yisrael party.
Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman speaks at a conference in Netanya on November 22, 2018. (Meir Vaknin/Flash90)
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