Israel Hayom reports a significant disagreement between the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, and the Cabinet regarding the Draft Law.
The Attorney General claimed that without a decision resolving the issue before March, government funding to yeshivas must be stopped immediately.
Senior officials in the government told the Attorney General's staff that they did not agree. The government opposed this opinion and stated that if the Attorney General insists on presenting such an opinion to the Supreme Court, they will consider retaining different counsel.
In preparation for the Supreme Court deliberations regarding the haredi draft, the Attorney General publicized her position on the matter approximately a week ago.
She claimed that the absence of a normalized plan to allow deferring service for yeshiva students has implications for the legitimacy of supporting those students. The government took offense at the connection between failure to draft and reduction of yeshiva budgets. According to officials in the Cabinet, the two issues cannot be connected. The matter will be brought to the Supreme Court on March 18th, and the government will need to explain why the two should or should not be connected.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) announced Wednesday night that the Draft Law would not be advanced if it was not supported by the National Unity party. “Any Draft Law that is acceptable to all members of the emergency government will be acceptable to me. Without the agreement of all members of the coalition, the defense system that I lead will not advance the law. This war has proved that everyone must shoulder the burden, including all parts of the nation. Without physical existence, there can be no spiritual existence.”
Minister Benny Gantz (National Unity) commented: “All members of Israeli society must take part in the privilege of service. This need is a security, national, and societal one. We will work with the Defense Minister, with all parties of our home, and all parts of Israeli society to advance the Israeli service plan with broad support at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) commented: “Esteemed Defense Minister - next week, a law will be presented that offers a draft plan from Yesh Atid. It focuses on equality, efficiency, and sensibility. All the Likud needs to do is act like a Zionist party and vote for it. We will not be victorious all together if we do not all draft together.”