The committee, headed by former Defense Ministry Director David Ivry, was appointed last year to investigate solutions for the problem of low enlistment rates.
The current "army enlistment" law, legislated three years ago, is known as the Tal Law. Its goal was to encourage more hareidi-religious young men to enlist in the army, and stipulates the following arrangement: Yeshiva students may defer their army service for up to four years, until age 22, by declaring twice a year that they are engaged in full-time yeshiva study. At age 22, the students have the chance to leave the yeshiva and work for a year without being drafted, or, of course continue in the army. If they chose work, then at age 23, they must decide whether to return to yeshiva study or to join the work force. If the latter, they must first perform shortened army service - four months for a married man with at least two children - or national service for a year and a half.
During 2003-4, only 77% of eligible 18-year-old Jews and Druze enlisted in the army. Nine percent received "Torah study" exemptions, while 14% did not enlist for health or other reasons.
The Ivry Committee recommends that those who neither enlist in the army nor serve in a national service framework be stripped of their rights to receive government-backed housing mortgages, allocation of land by the Israel Lands Authority, and even monthly National Insurance Institute child allowance payments.
It is felt that without the above threat, neither Arabs nor hareidim will feel obligated to perform national service.
The recommendations have a long way to go before being accepted, but in the meantime, the Cabinet voted yesterday to enable National Service for hareidim. The government resolved that as the goals of the Tal Law have not been sufficiently attained, the Defense Minister must order the army to enable "more attractive" courses of enlistment for hareidi soldiers. Such courses will be similar, in terms of duration and type of service, to hesder units (five years divided roughly 2-1 into yeshiva studies and active army service), Nahal hareidi (three years of service catered to a religious way of life), and new-immigrant service (shortened duration).
In addition, the Cabinet voted to enable young yeshiva students to perform a track of national service. Beginning in 2006, the Welfare Ministry will pay for at least 200 yeshiva students in various tasks, such as firefighting, Magen David Adom, or police work near their homes.
The current "army enlistment" law, legislated three years ago, is known as the Tal Law. Its goal was to encourage more hareidi-religious young men to enlist in the army, and stipulates the following arrangement: Yeshiva students may defer their army service for up to four years, until age 22, by declaring twice a year that they are engaged in full-time yeshiva study. At age 22, the students have the chance to leave the yeshiva and work for a year without being drafted, or, of course continue in the army. If they chose work, then at age 23, they must decide whether to return to yeshiva study or to join the work force. If the latter, they must first perform shortened army service - four months for a married man with at least two children - or national service for a year and a half.
During 2003-4, only 77% of eligible 18-year-old Jews and Druze enlisted in the army. Nine percent received "Torah study" exemptions, while 14% did not enlist for health or other reasons.
The Ivry Committee recommends that those who neither enlist in the army nor serve in a national service framework be stripped of their rights to receive government-backed housing mortgages, allocation of land by the Israel Lands Authority, and even monthly National Insurance Institute child allowance payments.
It is felt that without the above threat, neither Arabs nor hareidim will feel obligated to perform national service.
The recommendations have a long way to go before being accepted, but in the meantime, the Cabinet voted yesterday to enable National Service for hareidim. The government resolved that as the goals of the Tal Law have not been sufficiently attained, the Defense Minister must order the army to enable "more attractive" courses of enlistment for hareidi soldiers. Such courses will be similar, in terms of duration and type of service, to hesder units (five years divided roughly 2-1 into yeshiva studies and active army service), Nahal hareidi (three years of service catered to a religious way of life), and new-immigrant service (shortened duration).
In addition, the Cabinet voted to enable young yeshiva students to perform a track of national service. Beginning in 2006, the Welfare Ministry will pay for at least 200 yeshiva students in various tasks, such as firefighting, Magen David Adom, or police work near their homes.