Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett
Former Prime Minister Naftali BennettOlivier Fitoussi/ Flash90

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a post published this morning, denounces the law to subsidize daycare for children of yeshiva students who do not enlist in the IDF despite the directive of the Attorney General against the move.

"A Knesset member or minister who supports this week's draft-dodger funding bills (or under the false name: "the daycare bill"), should not dare to show his face again and tell us how important he thinks the reservists are. It is unbelievable that Knesset members from the coalition are considering supporting a disgraceful bill (subsidizing daycare for draft-dodgers) that takes money from those who serve and transfers it to the pockets of draft-dodgers," wrote Bennett.

"Note this: if this odious law passes, not one of our haredi brethren will enlist. Not 10,000, not 3,000, not even 300. This law favors draft-dodgers over families of enlistees for subsidy purposes. So who will enlist?" the former prime minister wondered.

He added, "I have no quarrel with the haredi public when politicians create an incentive structure that simply prevents them from enlisting. And don't tell us stories about 'plans' and 'schemes'. And how 'gradually and gently they will enlist'. It's just a lie, and you all know it. We are a nation of lions with a wretched leadership".

Bennett noted that "Until 7.10 I supported waiving military service to accelerate employment (and took a lot of criticism for this unpopular position), but since the war we are in a completely new reality: the IDF needs 20,000 soldiers. The only reason this destructive law is being promoted now is that [UTJ chairman] Goldknopf has issued a political ultimatum. The Knesset members know full well that if the law passes, no haredim will enlist, and the entire burden of the coming decade will fall only on the shoulders of the few reservists whose families are already in a state of collapse."

In his opinion, "This is an anti-Zionist law and manifestly illegal. If you think I'm angry, you're right. After 250 condolences, visits to the wounded, meetings with families of reservists, and soldiers whose businesses have collapsed. I can't see how the politicians are backstabbing the soldiers while with honeyed words they say 'together we will win'. How disconnected, self-absorbed, or deranged must you be, Members of Knesset, to support this? We have had enough words and tears. The test is in the vote."

Bennett also provides the government with eight suggestions for steps it should take. "Implement a formula: Serve and receive support, or don't serve and get nothing. Establish haredi brigades along the Jordan and Sinai borders, including border-adjacent yeshivot, so that haredi soldiers can maintain their lifestyle and operate on an 8-8-8 schedule. 8 hours of guard duty, 8 hours of Torah study, 8 hours of sleep; to create frameworks such as the haredi draft; to reach out to all existing reservists to bring them back into service; give reservists and their families advantages in employment, in benefits, in psychological and logistical assistance, in academia and more; enlist haredi leaders to the message of mutual responsibility and service. Make clear to them that we are in a new reality; to recognize full service in ZAKA, emergency services, Hatzalah, and other civil services; in no way to pass the draft-dodging laws which will destroy any chance of recruiting haredim."

"A Knesset member who sells out the soldiers will bear the mark of Cain on his brow until the end of his days", he concluded.