Justice Minister Tzipi Livni sent a letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Tuesday in which she expressed her dissatisfaction with the implementation of the Tal Law, which
provides yeshiva students with a special exemption from national military service.
“Some of the law’s clauses are not being implemented and the number of (yeshiva students) who join the army following the “year of decision” is lower than expected.
During the “year of decision” the students can leave the yeshiva without being subjected to the draft. If they return to study, the exemption will hold. If not, they can serve a shortened term in the military or do one year of community service, following which they can pursue any other options without penalty.
The letter was presented before the High Court of Justice in the framework of the State’s response to four pleas filed against the Tal Law.
'Different background and culture'
Livni said in the letter that there is an insufficient amount of options for ultra-Orthodox recruits, adding that the lack of an appropriate recruitment plan for ultra-Orthodox is causing them to remain in the yeshivas.
“We must create attractive recruitment paths for the ultra-Orthodox… in this way the army will become a part of their communal life and long-term equality will be achieved,” she said.
Livni proposed that recruitment guidelines for yeshiva students be equated to those that are imposed on new immigrants who arrive in Israel at the same age the yeshiva students begin their “year of decision.”
“Despite the differences between the groups, they are similar in that on the one hand there is a national and social interest in their integration into Israeli society, but on the other hand we must take into account that they are older than the other recruits. They come from a background and culture that does not prepare them for army service,” she said.
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