Netanyahu can't campaign against draft-evasion law he just backed - editorial
The haredi public is a vital part of Israel, but that does not justify mass exemption during a sustained national-security emergency.
The Jerusalem Post editorial criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his reported admission that his government's law freezing arrests of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft evaders was a failure. The piece argues that this reversal, made during an election campaign, does not erase the legal challenges, opposition from reservists and bereaved families, or the government's previous argument before the High Court.
The editorial contends that Netanyahu's claim of future resolve is difficult to take seriously, given the coalition's pursuit of the measure due to haredi parties' demands for protection and the IDF's ongoing manpower shortage. The writer emphasizes that Netanyahu should legislate a draft law before the elections to address the issue, proposing a complete bill with enlistment targets, a binding timetable, and narrow exemptions for genuine full-time Torah scholars.
Brief written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
