BREAKING NEWS

Tzipi Livni candidate Stern slams PM over Tal Law move

The Netanyahu government is missing an historic opportunity to resolve the issue of equality in the burden, former OC Human Resources Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Elazar Stern said Sunday. Stern recently joined the Tzipi Livni Party.
Stern's remarks came in response to a government decision to approve the enlistment of 1,300 yeshiva students for national service and officially recognize it as an alternative to serving in the IDF.
The proposal is meant as a compromise with the religious community and an interim solution to offset a deficiency in volunteers following the expiration of the Tal Law four months ago, which allowed haredim to defer their military service.
Stern said the government was destroying any possibility of resolving the issue via an agreement, despite recent efforts to come to an arrangement.
"Many officials in the haredi community were willing to make compromises.. but the end result is that on the eve of elections, the government has demonstrated its true priorities," Stern said.