The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday continued its discussion on the proposed Draft Law, focusing on Section 26d, which grants the Defense Minister the authority to postpone the military service of yeshiva students.
The committee’s legal advisor warned that, unlike the original government proposal, the current wording lacks criteria for when the Minister's authority may be used, such as for security needs and the scope of the regular forces.
According to the advisors, the absence of clear guidelines creates a significant legal challenges, especially given the failure to meet previous recruitment goals.
They also noted that according to a 1998 Supreme Court ruling, arrangements for deferring service require a “primary arrangement” in primary legislation.
Also participating in the discussion was bereaved mother Sarit Zussman, whose son Ben Zussman was killed in battle. She criticized the law, saying, "Since October 7, the haredim as a group have missed the history." According to her, the emerging law does not rectify an injustice but "dilutes justice and necessity on a historic scale."
Representatives from the Reservists’ Organization also joined the criticism. Attorney Shvut Ra'anan said there is no logic in granting service deferrals when Tzav 8 emergency call-up orders are activated, arguing that as long as the fighting units are not filled, there is no room for deferrals.
A Finance Ministry representative warned that the deferral mechanism creates "two legitimate options - to enlist or not to enlist," thus contradicting the goal of increasing recruitment.
Meanwhile, MK Meir Porush slammed the fact that the discussion focused on aligning the bill with previous Supreme Court rulings rather than the needs of the defense establishment.
"Why are we considering the Supreme Court and not the position of the security establishment?" he asked, adding that he demands the restoration of the arrangement that had been accepted for 75 years, in which yeshiva students were granted automatic exemptions from army service.
Porush referred to the recommendations of the Shaked Committee, which were formulated at the request of former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in coordination with the then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, six months after the October 7 massacre.
Yossi Levi, CEO of the Netzach Yehuda Association, called for recognizing the concept of full-time yeshiva study alongside increasing combat recruitment, and stressed that the integration of haredi hesder yeshivas could strengthen the security response.
The discussion is expected to continue in the coming days.