Rejecting Plesner plan, Yisrael Beytenu set to draft new law for universal service
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman says he will oppose any bill that does not include mandatory service for everyone over 18
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Yisrael Beytenu intends to introduce its own bill next week mandating compulsory army or national service for all Israeli citizens at age 18, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said at a party meeting on Monday.
Liberman rejected the conclusions of the Plesner committee, which recommended that yeshiva students only be subject to the draft at age 22.
The Plesner findings form the basis of a universal enlistment bill being drafted by MK Yohanan Plesner and Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon, which will likely be brought for a vote early next week.
“The Plesner Committee’s conclusion to reject ultra-Orthodox service before ages 22-23 does not make sense,” Liberman said. “We demand a clear statement: Compulsory military or national service for every citizen at age 18.”
Despite the party’s plan to introduce its own legislation, Liberman was adamant that Yisrael Beytenu does not intend to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition over the issue.
Wrangling over the Plesner Committee report briefly seemed to threaten the coalition last week, with Kadima threatening to leave after Netanyahu dissolved the panel. Creating a universal draft law was one of the keystones in Kadima’s joining the coalition in May.
The new legislation is necessary, since the current Tal Law, which gives ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students exemptions from service, was declared unconstitutional by the High Court. The law is set to expire on August 1.
The Times of Israel Community.