From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
PMO denies suggesting IDF enlist 2,500 ultra-Orthodox youth each year
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. 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"
The Prime Minister’s Office denies suggesting that the IDF enlist 2,500 ultra-Orthodox young men annually.
In a statement published by Ynet, the PMO says that “the reported figure refers to the current number of those serving in all existing military and civilian service tracks.”
The Haaretz daily reports that during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Sunday afternoon, the prime minister suggested that the government’s Haredi enlistment outline include a recruitment quota of 2,500 — far less than the total number of Haredim of enlistment age.
A planned cabinet discussion on Netanyahu’s proposed amendments to the Haredi military enlistment law scheduled for today at noon was postponed at the last minute as the premier held marathon talks within his coalition on the controversial reform.
The postponement came after National Unity party chairman and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz on Monday reiterated an earlier threat to bolt the coalition if an agreement cannot be reached on ultra-Orthodox enlistment.
The Times of Israel Community.