Haredi Party Gives Green Light to Advance Draft Law, Opposition is Furious

Israeli opposition leaders erupted in outrage Wednesday morning after United Torah Judaism’s Degel HaTorah faction announced it is giving an immediate “green light” for the military conscription bill to advance in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The dramatic decision came directly from the movement’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Dov Lando, together with Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch. In an official statement, Degel HaTorah said: “At this very moment, instructions have arrived from the Gedolei Yisrael HaGaon Rabbi Dov Lando and HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch to the Knesset members that it has been decided to give a green light to advance the law in committee as soon as possible.

After the full draft of the law is submitted, and still before the plenary vote, the proposal will be placed before the Gedolim, and only then will the final decision be made regarding how to vote.”

The party also appealed directly to yeshiva students: “Degel HaTorah asks the public of bnei Torah… especially during this period when we need great heavenly assistance, to continue immersing themselves in Torah in the yeshivos and kollelim. We are certain that in the merit of increased Torah study and adherence to the Daas Torah of the Gedolei Yisrael, we will merit to magnify and glorify the Torah, which is the greatest protection for the entire Jewish people.”

Agudat Yisrael (the Hasidic half of UTJ) immediately drew a red line: “Chairman MK Yitzchak Goldknopf has not yet received the draft of the conscription law… We are stating unequivocally: Agudat Yisrael will not support any proposal that includes sanctions or any harm to the status and rights of Torah learners in Israel.”

Opposition leaders were scathing:

Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beiteinu):

“The army is missing thousands of combat soldiers, and just this morning it was revealed that hundreds of career officers want to leave the IDF. Meanwhile, Gafni and Deri’s draft-dodging law gets a green light today. Israel’s security is being abandoned to cowards who are glued to their chairs and the perks of power.”

Benny Gantz (National Unity):

“You do not have a green light. No matter what stories you tell yourselves, you do not have a green light to continue abandoning our fighters and the security of Israel. You do not have a green light to allow mass draft-dodging for the sake of political survival. Those days are over!”

MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid):

“I was happy to hear that the real chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Rabbi Lando, has given permission for the committee to convene starting next week to discuss the draft-dodging law.”

The renewed push to legislate ultra-Orthodox enlistment (or continued broad exemptions) comes against the backdrop of the recent war, severe manpower shortages in the IDF, and mounting public fury over unequal burden-sharing.