Former Ambassador Gilad Erdan called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday after the latter revealed during a closed discussion his plan to advance a full conscription bill after the elections.
"We are no longer buying promises of 'conscription,' we are no longer buying promises of 'unity.' We will not sit in a narrow government, no matter whose," Erdan wrote.
Erdan's remarks came following a report on comments allegedly made by Prime Minister Netanyahu during a closed-door meeting. According to the report, Netanyahu said: “The temporary arrests law was intended to lower the flames and increase enlistment among the haredi public. In practice, it did not succeed, and therefore, there will not be such a law in the next government."
He added, “After the elections, we will establish a broad national government that will immediately pass a comprehensive conscription law that meets the IDF's needs. Anyone who is not studying Torah will either enlist or go to prison."
Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, responded: “The prime minister of the October 7 failure and the draft evasion crisis continues to excel at avoiding responsibility and acting out of fear. He is afraid of the consequences of his failures, afraid of not being re-elected, and afraid of a state commission of inquiry. He is afraid. Out of that fear, to stay in office and despite the chief of staff's warnings and the red flags during wartime, Netanyahu passed a disgraceful draft evasion law just two weeks ago that weakens the IDF and Israeli society as a whole. Netanyahu continues to treat the public with contempt. The public will not buy this new spin, which stems from his fear of the polls."
Former prime minister and chairman of the Together party, Naftali Bennett, said: “After four years of personally blocking haredi enlistment, ignoring the chief of staff's warnings and the pleas of reservists asking for reinforcements, Netanyahu thinks the people of Israel will believe him this time. Netanyahu knows this is a pathetic spin. He also knows he will not succeed in recruiting even a single haredi because he simply cannot, and above all because Aryeh Deri, who boasts about his draft-dodging grandsons, will not allow him to. These spins do not fool our soldiers, our reservists and their families, or anyone who understands that military service is an existential necessity."
Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beytenu, said: “Netanyahu continues to mislead everyone and is trying to divert the discussion from his failures. One thing is certain: he has no government without the draft dodgers."