Opposition pans Netanyahu ‘spin’ as he distances himself from Haredi draft evasion law

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing accusations of "pathetic spin" from opposition figures who claim he is misleading the public about ultra-Orthodox military conscription. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that Netanyahu's recent comments, suggesting his next government would conscript ultra-Orthodox men, are unbelievable after years of preventing their recruitment.

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Netanyahu thinks the serving public is dumb and his comments walking back recent legislative efforts are pathetic spin.

Bennett asserted that Aryeh Deri, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, would prevent any such conscription. The controversy stems from tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men aged 18-24 evading military service, exacerbating manpower shortages in the army and fueling public anger over an unequal distribution of the defense burden.

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After four years of personally preventing the recruitment of Haredim, ignoring the warnings of the chief of staff and the cries of the reservists who asked for reinforcements, Netanyahu thinks that this time the people of Israel will believe him.

Last month, a coalition-backed law temporarily banning the arrest and prosecution of Haredi draft evaders passed despite opposition. This law, which also froze existing criminal proceedings, was intended to legitimize continued non-enlistment for at least seven months. However, the High Court quickly froze its implementation, with a decision pending on whether to strike it down entirely.

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The law was intended to lower the flames and increase the number of Haredi enlistees but in practice it did not work, and therefore there will be no such law in the next government.

Leaks suggest Netanyahu admitted in a private discussion that the controversial law was ineffective and would not continue in his next government. He reportedly stated the law "did not work" and that after the elections, a "broad national government" would pass a "full draft law" to meet the IDF's needs, indicating a pursuit of legislative changes for full-time yeshiva students.

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After the elections, we will form a broad national government that will immediately pass a full draft law that will meet the needs of the IDF.