Talks on New Israel Draft Law Collapse
A meeting of a committee convened for the purpose of creating new IDF draft legislation, focusing on ultra-Orthodox recruits, broke down as an intense argument between Kadima MK Yohanan Plesner and Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon erupted on Wednesday.
The two plan to submit the bill on Monday for a first reading in the plenum, and to finish the committee discussions by the following week. That’s the last week of Knesset activity before its summer recess – and before the Tal Law expires.
The argument concerned regulations for drafting ultra-Orthodox men, including the severity of sanctions on individuals who would fail to report for duty, as well as how long a full implementation of an ultra-Orthodox drafting program would take.
During the meeting, Yaalon revealed his final positions to Plesner for the first time, after days of exploring the possibilities. One official close to the committee commented “We’ve reached a dead end. Ya’alon has gone back on most of the conclusions reached with Plesner over the last few days.”
For more, go to Haaretz.com
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
