Israel Matzav

Populism makes bad laws

One of the consequences of the Knesset being dissolved next week is that the Tal Law, which allows Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men to defer their army service as long as they are studying in yeshiva, will remain in effect for 6-8 months until elections can be held (September 4) and a new law can be debated and passed in the new Knesset. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman is not happy about that. He wants to pass a new law in the four days remaining in this Knesset session. I'm sure it would be well thought out.

Liberman's party planned to bring its plan to a preliminary plenum vote on May 9 and threatened to bring down the coalition if it does not pass. Since May 9 is now expected to be the last day of the 18th Knesset, Yisrael Beytenu would have to pass the bill in its first reading on Monday and push it through an accelerated legislative process so it can become law by Wednesday.

The process cannot be sped up unless the bill is authorized by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday, which is unlikely, as haredi parties and the Likud would have to approve it. Haredi parties oppose requiring their constituents to serve, while the Likud would lose points politically by allowing Yisrael Beytenu's reform to pass.

Another possibility, the foreign minister explained in a Thursday press conference, is to get signatures from 61 MKs, which would require Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin to call a Knesset meeting despite its dissolution.

Liberman called a press conference in the Knesset with leaders of the "Camp Sucker" and "Common Denominator" protest movements, which advocate for universal service and support Yisrael Beytenu's bill.

Boaz Nol and Idan Miller, leaders of the protest groups, called on MKs to pass the legislation before the Knesset is dissolved.

"The silent majority will not allow politicians to postpone this decision again," Nol and Miller said. "We will support any party's proposal, as long as they keep the principle of equality in the burden."

Liberman told Nol and Miller that they can count on signatures from Yisrael Beytenu's 15 MKs, but encouraged them to call members of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, as well as parliamentarians from parties who said they support the protest groups' goals.

...

Later Thursday, MK Einat Wilf (Independence) announced that she would bring her party's proposed alternative to the Tal Law to a vote in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday.

Defense Minister and Independence party leader Ehud Barak submitted an identical ministerial bill, which does not require approval from the committee. Wilf's move is meant to strengthen Barak's bill.

The Independence bill calls for the IDF to decide which 18 year olds should serve in the military. Those who are not recruited by the IDF must perform civilian service for one year.

Shortly after the Supreme Court invalidated the Tal Law, Israel Radio interviewed Rabbi Dov Halbertal. Rabbi Halbertal is a lawyer, and is also considered a confidant of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the leader of the Lithuanian Haredi community (since that interview, Rabbi Elyashiv's health has deteriorated and Rabbi Aryeh Leib Steinman seems to be stepping into his position). He also served in the IDF himself.

Among other things, Rabbi Halbertal said that the Haredi community can only be brought into the army by agreement. He put it starkly: "Do you think that if you surrounded Har Nof (a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem) with three tank brigades that you would recruit anyone into the army? Do you think they would make good soldiers?"

Unfortunately, Israel Radio does not archive recordings for more than a week or two so I cannot share the recording with those of you who speak Hebrew.

Labels: IDF, Nachal Charedi, religion and state

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:16 PM