MK Shlomo Karhi (Likud) on Monday urged that haredim be required to draft into the IDF only if their lifestyle is respected.
During a meeting of the Lobby for the Haredi Soldier, Karhi said, "If the State decides to draft haredim, it needs to do it with an open heart and a willing soul."
He added that the State must "allow them to preserve their Torah lifestyle within a military framework, and not try to turn them into what they are not, and into what they do not wish to be."
Last month, the Knesset approved the Draft Law in its first reading, with 51 MKs voting in favor of the bill, and 48 MKs voting against it.
Also last month, Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) said that the IDF is working to expand service routes tailored to the haredi public, "which will ensure that those haredim who enlist will maintain their identity."