Chairman of the secular Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to avoid "giving in to haredim" and to pass a revised version of the haredi draft law with the help of Members of Knesset from Yesh Atid.
“This law can be passed,” said Lapid. “You have our votes. The votes of Yesh Atid have assured you the ability to pass this law. We do not have to give in to the haredim again.”
Lapid symbolically made his remarks at the Tel Hashomer recruitment center in the Tel Aviv district, the same day as a new batch of young Israelis begin their enlistment process.
The current government is in a rush to fulfill a Supreme Court-mandated deadline in December to revise a 2015 version of the draft law that exempts many haredi yeshiva students from enlistment in the IDF. The Yesh Atid chairman sits in the opposition. Nevertheless, he warned of new elections if Netanyahu fails to get the draft law passed.
"This law must be passed in its letter and in its language,” Lapid said. “Mr. Netanyahu, let's pass the draft law or let's go to the elections.”
For their part, Netanyahu’s haredi coalition partners have also threatened to leave the government if a 2015 version of the draft law is replaced with a bill that mandates the enlistment of thousands of Yeshiva students.
Netanyahu also threatened elections if the haredi parties in his government do not compromise on a new version.