The haredi (ultra-Orthodox) party United Torah Judaism (UTJ) announced on Monday that it would boycott coalition voting in the Knesset, disrupting the legislative agenda, after accusing the coalition of failing to advance legislation promised to the haredi parties quickly enough.
This boycott threatens to disrupt the legislative agenda.
The announcement marks another attempt to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition as the haredi parties – Shas and UTJ – have been attempting to advance a series of bills that critics argue would support haredi draft evaders during the IDF’s severe manpower crisis.
The most recent proposal being advanced is a bill that would temporarily freeze the arrests of haredi draft evaders, which is set to be debated on Tuesday in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
“United Torah Judaism informed the coalition that its members will not participate in today's votes on legislation in the Knesset plenum, due to the failure to complete the advancement of the bills that had been agreed upon,” the party stated.
“As a result, the Knesset plenum is also expected today to conclude its proceedings earlier than planned,” UTJ added.
Bill: No arrest, no investigation, no enforcement for failure to serve
The bill to freeze the arrests of draft evaders contains a section stipulating that from the decided date of commencement until the end of 90 days, no arrest, investigation, or enforcement proceedings will be taken for failure to serve.
The government has presented its stance that arresting yeshiva students who evade military service has undermined efforts to encourage broader enlistment among haredi men.
Dr. Gilad Malach, research Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute's Ultra-Orthodox in Israel Program, told The Jerusalem Post that the proposal to freeze arrests of draft evaders suffers from significant flaws and lacks balance.
"Although it is meant to address a real issue [of haredi conscription], it does so in a problematic way," Malach said.
"First, it does not include the broader enforcement tools and instead focuses only on easing measures [of arrests], without an overall framework [of sanctions]."
Malach also argued that the proposal is not truly a temporary measure despite its stated 90-day duration.
"Any law passed right before elections that is set to expire during the election period automatically receives an extension of roughly four months, since the Knesset is not functioning normally," he said.
"So the 90 days can effectively become six or seven months. It is a technical issue, but clearly political parties exploit it."
"Ultimately, the goal of the haredi parties in this context is a political achievement ahead of elections," Malach explained.
"They want to be able to say: we achieved something, we prevented arrests, we delayed the issue.”
An additional bill fast-tracked by the coaltion seeks to enshrine Torah study in the country’s Basic Law and was advanced in the Knesset’s House Committee throughout Sunday and Monday.
It is reportedly expected to be brought for a first-reading plenum vote as early as Wednesday.
Israel does not have a constitution, and instead has a series of Knesset-legislated basic laws on various subjects that hold a high legal status.
The contentious legislation to enshrine Torah study in Basic Law is part of a proposal pushed by haredi parties that critics argue encourages draft evasion and changes the status of yeshiva students who do not serve, enabling them to continue receiving state benefits.
It passed its preliminary reading earlier this month and must still be advanced in a Knesset committee before undergoing three more required readings to take effect.
The haredi parties had boycotted coalition voting last week, stating that they would not cooperate with Netanyahu’s coalition until there was advancement with the legislation they have been pushing for.
On Tuesday, leaders of Degel Hatorah and Shas, MKs Moshe Gafni and Arye Deri, released a joint statement saying they held a meeting with Netanyahu.
IDF, Zamir warns military at risk of manpower shortage, collapse
The two stated that the prime minister had “made it clear at the meeting that he is committed to approving the laws and will work to advance them quickly.”
Subsequently, on Thursday, marathon meetings were set to advance the Basic Law: Torah Study bill for this week.
The haredi parties have encouraged the coalition to advance legislation that would not increase haredi enlistment. The IDF has repeatedly warned of an urgent manpower shortage after more than two years of war.
In April, the High Court of Justice ordered that the state take concrete steps to revoke key financial benefits from draft evaders and to move toward criminal enforcement against haredi men who evade military service.
In March, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the IDF could soon collapse if no solution was found for the manpower shortage.
The tensions also come amid the coalition’s last Knesset session to advance its legislation before the upcoming elections, scheduled for no later than October 27.