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Draft-dodging crisis forces Israeli army chief to write to Netanyahu
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir sent a warning letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, strongly opposing a bill that would prevent the detention of Haredi students who become draft dodgers. Zamir argued that the arrangement would weaken the army's operational capacity and reward those who evade military service.
As debates over exemptions from compulsory military service shake Israel's military structure, the army's top commander issued a stern warning to the government.
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir sent an official letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, opposing a bill that would prevent the detention of Haredi students who become draft dodgers.
In his letter, Zamir argued that this arrangement would seriously harm the Israeli army's personnel strength and operational capacity. The chief of staff stated, "Far from bringing new soldiers into the army in the near term, this bill would reward those who are called up for military service but do not report."
The background to the crisis is a statement made on June 28 by Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee. Bismuth announced that a temporary arrangement had been prepared to postpone for 90 days any detention orders or legal proceedings against Haredi students who oppose compulsory military service.
Meanwhile, the government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu is working on a controversial basic law amendment that would declare Torah study a "supreme national value" in order to exempt Haredi students from military service.
In Israel, a country of about 10 million people, Haredi Jews, who make up roughly 13% of the population, refuse to serve in the military on religious grounds. On June 25, 2024, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that there is no legal basis for exempting Haredim from compulsory military service, which applies to all citizens.
Following the court ruling, Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition partners, the Haredi parties, reacted sharply and increased their demands for a new conscription law. The failure to reach a compromise between the parties has deepened the political crisis in Israel.
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