I Doubt That's What We'll Get

Israel Katz: I have come to bring unity with my draft proposal

Defense Minister Israel Katz presented his principles for a proposed draft law before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, explaining his draft targets and balancing ideas.

Defense Minister Katz giving his proposal to the Knesset. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Defense Minister Israel Katz presented his proposed principles for an upcoming draft law proposal today (Tuesday) to be put before the Knesset later on.

Katz said that the purpose of the law would be to both relieve the burden on those serving in the army in the regular and reserve forces and draft tens of thousands of Charedim for "meaningful" service. He said that "I have come here to bring unity and strengthen the Israeli society and nation."

Katz said that he would not advance a law which did not meet two principles: enlisting and integrating Charedim into the IDF while maintaining the Jewish Torah world.

The first target will be a draft target of 50% of each cohort within seven years in a gradual manner, with the first year drafting 4,800 Haredi men and the second year drafting 5,700.

Katz insisted that the targets need to be "realistic" and reflect the proper proportion between what should be done and what can be done.

In particular, Katz said that without an agreement with the Haredi leadership, there will be no results in the draft effort. He noted that right now, with the draft law applying to everyone, there has been a marked decline in the number of those presenting for duty at the recruitment centers.

Katz noted that he had allowed the 7,000 draft notices issued by his predecessor Yoav Gallant to go out, but that IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi conceded that without Haredi societal support, the draft effort will not succeed.

Katz did say that his proposed draft law would include not only institutional sanctions for housing draft dodgers but also personal sanctions for those who neither serve nor learn, "something which didn't exist until today," according to Katz.

The Defense Minister also said that while the IDF is ready to absorb an increasing number of Haredim, without the support of Haredi leadership, that ability remains "on paper."


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