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Itzik Shmuli
Photo: Yaron Brener

Students: Netanyahu gave up on soldiers

National Student Union joins 'suckers' campaign for universal draft, slam prime minister for dissolving Plesner Committee

A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the Plesner Committee, the National Union of Israeli Students has decided to join the "suckers" campaign for equal share of the burden.

 

"Our love and sacrifice for the country must under no circumstance serve as a justification for our discrimination," Student Union Chairman Itzik Shmuli announced at a press conference in Tel Aviv Tuesday.

 

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Earlier, Shmuli said that "the prime minister is consistent in failing to meet his obligations to the public – first in the social arena and now in the universal draft issue."

 

By dissolving the Plesner Committee, Shmuli asserted, Netanyahu has chosen "to give up on soldiers, youngsters, olim, periphery residents, tax payers and reservists. The age of backroom deals is over. The students are joining the protest and leading the change."

 

Similar sentiment was voiced at university and college student unions. "The union supports the struggle for equal share of the burden and was one of the first to join forces with the 'suckers' campaign," said Tel Aviv University Student Union chairman Uri Reshtik.

 

"The Israeli public isn’t interested in a few hundred haredim enlisting but equality that is achieved through a comprehensive plan that will also lift obstacles in the labor market that are impeding the haredim."

 

Guy Shriki, chairman of the College of Management's Student Union added, "The dissolution of the committee is effectively a slap in the face of the student leadership and cannot be ignored. We shall take to the streets and work on several fronts to ensure that the issue doesn’t fall through the cracks."

 

Meanwhile, on the political front, sources close to Kadima Chairman Shaul Mofaz are accusing Haim Ramon, who announced his intention to form a new party earlier on Tuesday, of coordinating the move with Netanyahu's bureau in an effort to undermine Kadima. Ramon denied the allegations.

 

Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.03.12, 18:09
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