Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promises in closed-door discussions with Haredi members of the Knesset: The Enlistment Law will be brought for immediate approval at the start of the next session in winter, prior to further legal proceedings, as reported by Channel 11.
Last week, the Haredi members of the Knesset issued a threat to Netanyahu, stating that if The Enlistment Law is not brought forward and approved, they will not hesitate to bring down the government. According to them, "there is no right to a government's existence without The Enlistment Law."
Prime Minister's Office Secretary Yossi Fuchs was interviewed at the end of the week by the Haredi magazine 'Mishpacha,' in which he promised that "there will be an Enlistment Law that in one way or another will be immune to judicial review. Therefore, the idea is to legislate an Enlistment Law that will pass the Supreme Court. We hope that there will be an agreement that the Supreme Court should not interfere with basic laws. If there is a need for a fundamental law for Torah study, we will address it. The idea is that we won't have to go to the Supreme Court every other day."
Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon agreed to the principle that will be included in the new law, according to which the exemption age will be lowered from 26 to ages 21-22. This is in order to release yeshiva students and kollel members from military service and integrate them into the Israeli job market.
However, the Deputy Attorney General is requesting to initially implement the new arrangement as a temporary measure for ten years. This is on the condition that the data does indeed reflect at the end of those years and demonstrate a clear transition of yeshiva students to the job market, making it easier to present to the Supreme Court.
On the other hand, the ultra-Orthodox oppose the limitation of the new arrangement in time and demand a permanent solution. According to them, if the temporary arrangement is implemented, the debate will be brought back to the Supreme Court in another ten years, and this saga will never end.
