{
  "id": 18969773,
  "title": "What is Liberman's 2018 haredi draft plan, and could it break the coalition deadlock? - explainer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/what-is-libermans-2018-haredi-draft-plan-and-could-it-break-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T16:20:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-914231"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Avigdor Liberman's 2018 proposal for conscripting Haredi men into the Israeli military has resurfaced as a possible foundation for coalition discussions, following his recent willingness to negotiate with Haredi parties. The 2018 plan, crafted by the Defense Ministry and IDF during Liberman's time as defense minister, aimed to incrementally boost Haredi enlistment while maintaining deferrals for those in yeshivas. Key elements of the 2018 plan included annual recruitment goals, penalties for institutions failing to meet targets, and a mechanism that could ultimately dismantle the special exemption arrangement if targets were consistently unmet. In contrast to Boaz Bismuth's more recent proposal from 2025, Liberman's framework emphasized targeting yeshiva funding and the continued validity of the exemption system rather than imposing personal sanctions. A critical distinction between the two proposals lies in the age at which yeshiva students could receive exemptions from military service. Liberman set the exemption age at 24, while Bismuth proposed raising it to 26. Furthermore, Liberman's plan included a provision that if recruitment targets were missed for three consecutive years, the exemption arrangement would expire after an additional 12-month period. This contrasted with Bismuth's proposal, which did not include an automatic mechanism to terminate the entire exemption system. Additionally, the recruitment targets under Liberman's plan were more ambitious, with a goal of enlisting 6,208 Haredi men by 2025, compared to Bismuth's projected average of 5,440 recruits per year over an 18-month span.",
  "summary": "Liberman's 2018 haredi draft plan is back in focus. How does it compare to Bismuth's bill on recruitment quotas, sanctions, and IDF manpower needs?",
  "key_points": [
    "Avigdor Liberman's 2018 draft plan aimed to gradually increase Haredi military service.",
    "Plan set 24 as exemption age, with penalty for yeshivas failing targets.",
    "If recruitment missed three years, exemption expired after 12 months."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Arutz Sheva - Israel National News",
        "title": "Defending compromise with haredi parties, Liberman shows flexibility on conscription",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/defending-compromise-with-haredi-parties-liberman-shows-flexibility",
        "published": "2026-11-08T12:48:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "Under fire for urging ‘compromise,’ Liberman says he still wants Haredim to serve",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/under-fire-for-urging-compromise-liberman-says-he-still-wants-haredim",
        "published": "2026-11-08T15:07:33.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}