Demonstrators brought some animals near Netanyahu's office in occupied Jerusalem to demand the enactment of a law requiring Haredi Jews to serve in the army (Reuters)
Israeli Channel 13 said that dozens of army reserve commanders informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the broad outlines of the conscription law seriously harm the security of the state, while a government meeting scheduled to discuss the draft law was postponed until a later time.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that Netanyahu proposed in his meeting with the government’s legal advisor to recruit 2,500 Haredim annually, while Haaretz newspaper revealed that the government session dedicated to discussing the conscription law had been postponed without setting a new date for its holding in light of the Haredim’s (religious Jews) opposition to conscription.
In a post on the “X” platform, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked Prime Minister Netanyahu and the conscription law in its current form, calling on members of the Likud Party to oppose the proposed law, which he described as a conscription evasion law.
Lapid accused Netanyahu's government of dragging Israel into an economic and social catastrophe, as he put it.
In a parallel context, Maariv newspaper quoted former Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon as saying that Israel is experiencing the most dangerous crisis since its founding, while Reserve Forces General Yitzhak Brick said that Israel is not ready for a war on several fronts.
Urgent need for recruitment
For his part, the military correspondent of the "Wala" website revealed that the leaders of the Israeli army explained to Defense Minister Yoav Galant the army's need for fighters of no less than 20,000 soldiers.
According to Israeli military officials, the army needs to recruit more soldiers in light of the increasing threats, based on intelligence estimates regarding the possibility of escalation on the northern front.
The leaders of the Israeli army stressed the need to introduce modifications in the intensive recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews, in terms of modifying the tests designated for their enrollment in the ranks of the army, establishing new training bases, and adapting the rules to serve the Haredim.
In turn, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed his office employees not to cooperate with the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the conscription law related to Haredi Jews.
She added that Netanyahu is meeting with the Minister of Justice and the government's legal advisor in order to reach understandings regarding this law.
Today, dozens of the so-called “Brothers in Arms Movement” opposing the Israeli Prime Minister demonstrated in the vicinity of the Knesset building in occupied Jerusalem, to demand the enactment of a law requiring Haredi Jews to serve in the army.
The protesters raised banners reading, “Service in the army is a duty for everyone.” The demonstrators brought a group of animals and said that they would not be a vehicle for the government.
Source: Al Jazeera + Israeli press