The Knesset plenum approved legislation to halt the arrests of haredi draft dodgers in its second and third readings with a majority of 58 votes against 54.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was present for part of the discussion but was absent from the vote. According to Likud sources, Netanyahu attempted to convince Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to preside over the discussion, but he preferred that his deputy, MK Limor Son Har-Melech, do so.
Netanyahu's arrival at the plenum during the discussion, as well as part of the votes on reservations to the law, were accompanied by shouts of "shame" and "go"
Four members of the coalition, Yuli Edelstein (Likud), Sharren Haskel (Likud), Dan Illouz (Likud), and Moshe Solomon (Religious Zionists), voted against the. Minister Ofir Sofer and MK Michal Woldiger (Religious Zionists) were absent from the vote.
Minister Shlomo Karhi (Likud) presented the bill and clashed with opposition members from the podium.
Haredi members of the Knesset were required during the debate to disclose that members of their families could potentially be affected by the outcome of the vote.
Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, welcomed the bill's approval, saying: “We promised, and we delivered. This is an important step in protecting the Torah world and its students."
Aryeh Deri, chairman of Shas, added: “Today, with G-d's help, we passed the law to end the arrests of Torah students. Today, the Knesset is sending a clear message to the dismissed attorney general: Enough persecution. Enough hatred toward Torah scholars. Who would have believed that in the Jewish state, yeshiva students, the cherished Tribe of Levi of the Jewish people, would be treated as criminals? Today, we began correcting that injustice.
“The overwhelming majority of the people of Israel love the Torah, respect its scholars, and understand that they safeguard the identity and spirit of the Jewish people. On this day, I remember the words of my teacher, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of blessed memory, who was deeply pained by the harm done to yeshiva students and said that the Jewish people are protected from their enemies by their Torah study. He also loved and embraced the soldiers of the IDF, who risk their lives for Israel's security, and blessed them to return home safely. That is the way of the Torah, to embrace everyone and unite everyone. Do not allow the dismissed attorney general and those who incite to divide us. With God's help, we will continue to prevail, together."
Meanwhile, Yisrael Beytenu and members of Yesh Atid announced that they had filed a petition with the High Court of Justice challenging the law approved by the Knesset.
In their petition, the Yesh Atid members wrote: “This is what the Knesset and the government regard as their crowning achievement after four years in office and three years after the events of October 7: deepening discrimination between one citizen and another, applying one set of rules to secular, traditional, and religious Israelis subject to military service, and a different set of rules to those subject to conscription from the Haredi community."
Opposition Leader and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid attacked the government, calling it a "government of refuseniks, draft dodgers, and the corrupt," and accusing it of voting "against the IDF, against the Chief of Staff, against Judaism, and against mutual responsibility. That is how they will be remembered. Soon we will return, and together we will amend."