Haredi journalist Yishay Cohen said today (Tuesday) on X that "it will be difficult to impossible" for the Haredi parties to vote for Defense Minister Israel Katz's proposed draft bill given the likely stance of the spiritual leadership.
Cohen also said that representatives in the Haredi parties were also stunned at some of the details in Katz's proposal, especially personal sanctions applying to those who learn and that civil-national service will not be included in the draft targets (with security-based service in things like the Border Guard only in small numbers).
Cohen quoted a Haredi senior representative saying that "we weren't aware of this, we did not agree to this, we cannot vote for such a law."
He then went on to say that the Haredi factions were aware of most, if not all of the items in Katz's proposal as presented today before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Some of the proposals portions are acceptable and others are not - indeed, some were approved beforehand by the parties' rabbinic leadership.
Cohen noted that the details - especially those under dispute - will be discussed at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee rather than lead to a wholesale veto by the Haredi parties.
The Defense Minister told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that he seeks to both relieve the burden on those serving in the IDF and to preserve the Torah world.
While adding that his proposal includes personal and institutional sanctions, he warned that any effort to try and draft Haredim without the support of the Haredi community and especially its spiritual leadership would ultimately fail, no matter what law was on the books.
Katz mentioned how he allowed 7,000 draft notices prepared by his predecessor Yoav Gallant to go out - only for a steep decline to happen in actual recruitment rates.
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