Thursday, September 7, 2023

Coalition sources: Opposing Draft Law may bring down government

Sources in Israel's coalition have warned that opposition to the Draft Law among members of the coalition is greater than it seems, and passing the Draft Law may bring down the government, Kan Reshet Bet reported.

According to the report, the opposition to the law stems from MKs from the non-haredi parties, including the Likud, Otzma Yehudit, and Religious Zionism; most of those opposed to the law have not yet expressed their thoughts on the matter publicly.

One of the MKs who opposes the law said that the Draft Law may break apart the current government, more than any other issue currently on the table, the report added.

Another MK said that unlike the judicial reform, the public protest against the Draft Law is expected to come from those who support the current government, since "the right is not in favor of evasion [of military service]." Other ministers expressed opposition to giving yeshiva students a blanket exemption from enlistment.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) has demanded to set enlistment targets and legislate a bill to raise soldiers' salaries, which would also grant benefits to those who serve for over two years. According to the same sources, opposition to the Draft Law is expected to arise even if this bill passes as well.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already promised the haredi parties that a memorandum on the Draft Law will be published immediately following the holiday season. The United Torah Judaism party this week told the government's secretary that if the law does not pass, the government will fall.