Israeli ultra-orthodox Jews angry at Netanyahu plan to pass state budget before army service law

Israel’s ultra-orthodox Jewish party leaders are reportedly angry after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told them that the government must pass the state budget before it can legislate a bill exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from army service, Israeli media outlets have reported. The state budget has to be the priority before the “highly contentious” issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment in the army, he said.

According to the reports, Netanyahu tried to calm the party leaders, claiming that progress is being made in the draft army exemption bill, in parallel with the state budget bill.

Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction, and leader of the United Torah Judaism party, Yitzhak Goldknopf, has reportedly protested against Netanyahu’s argument, saying that the plan was to pass the army exemption bill first and then the state budget.

“There is no reason to stay in the government if a Haredi draft law is not passed before the budget,” he added, hinting at possibly leaving the far-right coalition.

Members of the coalition government believe that it is difficult to the point of impossible to pass the army draft exemption law before the state budget. Moreover, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee will not agree to accelerate the enactment of the army exemption draft bill in order to prevent petitions on improper legislative procedures.

The committee is also expected this week to discuss the imposition of personal penalties on ultra-Orthodox Jews who evade military service.

Last week, the finance ministry sent a letter to the defence ministry and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stating that personal economic penalties should be imposed on ultra-Orthodox Jews who evade military service, including the cessation of state-funded support for their nurseries, allowances for Torah students, exemptions from National Insurance fees, government support for housing and a reduction in the property tax.

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