Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) believes that the Draft Law will not solve the lack of haredi enlistment, stressing that change must come from within.
In a Wednesday interview with Reshet Bet, Eliyahu said: “In the end, volunteering with ZAKA is no less important.”
He also claimed that enlistment rates in northern Tel Aviv are low, adding, “They enlist, but not in combat units. It reflects a lack of willingness to serve in frontline roles.”
“No law can fix this. We need to instill education and mutual responsibility, not use force,” he continued, adding, “We must not run a populist, meaningless campaign whose sole purpose is to divide society. Will [MK Boaz] Bismuth’s proposal bring more people into combat units? I think it will. I strongly believe that Israeli society, including northern Kaplan, is undergoing a significant shift toward enlistment.”
The text of Bismuth's Draft Law was leaked Tuesday evening by Channel 12 News, revealing substantial changes in favor of the haredi public.
Among the most notable changes - the requirement for a quota of combat soldiers has been canceled, and for the first time, no binding numerical target will be set for drafting haredim into combat roles.
In addition, Haredim who join civil service in security-related areas - such as the police, Magen David Adom (emergency medical services), or the Home Front Command - will be counted as part of the overall service goals.
The definition of a Haredi candidate for service was also changed, so that anyone who studied in a yeshiva for two years (instead of three) will qualify for an exemption from military service.