“They attacked me, so as a soldier, a civilian, I defended myself as I would in any other situation,”
Ultra-Orthodox leaders have convinced Benjamin Netanyahu to roll back laws that would have required all Israelis to serve in the military. Yeshiva students are celebrating their victory — as secular opponents fume over perceived injustice.
So, the Israel Defense Forces won’t be drafting haredi Orthodox Israelis, after all.
Due to the delay in the passage of Israel’s new draft-reform bill, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has decided to defer the conscription of yeshiva students who have already received their draft notices until November.
Israel’s cabinet approved a draft law on Sunday to abolish wholesale exemptions from military duty granted to Jewish seminary students, stoking ultra-Orthodox anger over the break with tradition.