From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Smotrich slams Haredi leaders for linking budget approval to draft exemption 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"
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemns the leaders of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties for dismissing the importance of military service, stating that failure to enlist is an “injustice” that must be remedied and arguing that it is “irresponsible” to condition support for the 2025 state budget on the passage of an enlistment law.
“I read with heart-wrenching pain the words of some members of the ultra-Orthodox factions, members of the coalition, about the sacred duty of serving in the Israel Defense Forces,” Smotrich says in a statement — arguing that serving in the IDF does not conflict with Torah study or religious observance, as exemplified by “the thousands of religious Zionist fighters who combine combat service and study with heroism and the sanctification of God’s name.”
On Monday, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri appeared to present yeshiva students’ studies as more valuable to the war effort than soldiers’ activities on the frontlines.
“You have to understand, if you look at the budget, each day of battle costs us more than the entire annual budget of the entire Torah world,” Deri told Shas mouthpiece HaDerech. “We believe that every day of study prevents more days of battle.”
In a separate interview the following day, United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf threatened to block the passage of the 2025 state budget unless the government passes legislation exempting Haredi yeshiva students from military service.
“We will not be in the government without a conscription law,” Goldknopf told the Makor Rishon daily, even as he said he would support the recruitment of Haredim who are not enrolled full-time in yeshivas.
“Service in the IDF is a duty, a right and a mitzvah,” counters Smotrich, arguing that whatever their reasons, failing to serve “is an injustice that requires fundamental correction.”
“I also firmly reject attempts to issue an irresponsible ultimatum for the approval of the state budget necessary for the war and the stability of the economy,” he insists.
