Israeli opposition slams Netanyahu bill on Haredi draft exemptions

Israel's parliament approved a controversial bill on Wednesday that would elevate Torah study to constitutional status, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu casting his vote in favor of legislation that opposition leaders condemned as institutionalizing military draft evasion for ultra-Orthodox Jews. The measure passed its first reading by 63 votes to 53 and requires two additional readings before becoming law, according to Israeli media reports. Haredi parties have pushed for the bill's passage to secure broader legal protections for religious schools following Supreme Court rulings that canceled longstanding military service exemptions.

Opposition warns of 'assault on national backbone'

Former Israeli army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who now heads the Yashar party, sharply criticized the legislation on the social media platform X. "The attempt to turn draft evasion into a Basic Law is a direct assault on our national backbone," Eisenkot said, arguing that the bill undermines Israel's security at a time of multiple active conflicts. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the Together party, also attacked the bill on X, stating: "Immediately upon the establishment of the new government, we will repeal the Basic Law: Denigration of the Torah."

Political dealmaking amid wartime pressures

The vote came as part of a broader legislative package negotiated between Netanyahu and Haredi party leaders, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. In exchange for advancing the Torah study bill and separate legislation shielding draft evaders from criminal enforcement, Haredi factions agreed to support Netanyahu's priorities — including an inquiry committee into the October 7, 2023 attacks and measures to divide the attorney general's powers. "The [army] desperately needs 20,000 soldiers, and today the Bibi-Deri-Smotrich coalition said once again that political interests are more important than security," Bennett added.

Haredim — ultra-Orthodox Jews who reject military service on grounds of full-time religious study — comprise approximately 13% of Israel's population of more than 10 million. For decades, Haredi men received repeated deferments until reaching the exemption age of 26, but the Supreme Court ruled in June 2024 that the community must be drafted into the military and ordered the suspension of state funding for religious institutions whose students refuse enlistment.