National Religious party chairman Knesset Member Effie Eitam and MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) plan to present a bill to the Knesset next week that, if passed, would effectively prevent the Israel Defense Forces from participating in the uprooting of Jewish communities.
The Ministerial Committee of Legislative Affairs will discuss the bill, which requires a majority of 80 Knesset members to deploy the IDF against any entity not defined as an "enemy of the state". It states that the duty of the IDF is solely to guard Israel's borders, protect Israel's citizens and to fight the enemies of the Jewish People, but not to involve itself in missions involving confrontation with Israel's civilian population.
MK Eldad told Arutz-7 today, "The State of Israel is facing difficult decisions that are connected to the future of Jewish life in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza). We must not make these difficult times any more difficult by ordering the men and women of the IDF – an army of the people – to uproot their own families from their homes or to carry out actions that could tear a rift between the different sectors of our people."
MKs Eldad and Eitam are suggesting an amendment to the Law of Police, mandating that only policemen carry out functions dealing with non-enemy civilians living in Yesha.
"The law seeks to solidify a very simple concept," said Eldad, "that the purpose of the IDF is to deal with enemies of the Jewish State, not to implement political decisions and throw civilians out of their homes."
The bill has been coordinated with members of the Likud, United Torah Judaism, National Union and Shas parties.
The Ministerial Committee of Legislative Affairs will discuss the bill, which requires a majority of 80 Knesset members to deploy the IDF against any entity not defined as an "enemy of the state". It states that the duty of the IDF is solely to guard Israel's borders, protect Israel's citizens and to fight the enemies of the Jewish People, but not to involve itself in missions involving confrontation with Israel's civilian population.
MK Eldad told Arutz-7 today, "The State of Israel is facing difficult decisions that are connected to the future of Jewish life in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza). We must not make these difficult times any more difficult by ordering the men and women of the IDF – an army of the people – to uproot their own families from their homes or to carry out actions that could tear a rift between the different sectors of our people."
MKs Eldad and Eitam are suggesting an amendment to the Law of Police, mandating that only policemen carry out functions dealing with non-enemy civilians living in Yesha.
"The law seeks to solidify a very simple concept," said Eldad, "that the purpose of the IDF is to deal with enemies of the Jewish State, not to implement political decisions and throw civilians out of their homes."
The bill has been coordinated with members of the Likud, United Torah Judaism, National Union and Shas parties.