AG: Haredi draft deferment to age 21 unjust

Weinstein clarifies that absolute equality in burden can only be achieved with cancellation of haredi military deferment to age 21, cancellation of option of civil service in place of military service. Committee agrees to general mobilization of 18-year-olds in 2020, but does not change decision on hesder yeshivas

Moran Azulay|Published: 07.02.13 , 13:16

The political solution to achieving equality in burden is still far off, and on Tuesday morning it ran into a political pitfall. During a discussion of the Peri Committee, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein clarified that in order to reach complete equality, it must be determined that by the end of the process, two major benefits given to young haredim must be cancelled: Enlistment deferment until age 21, and the choice between civil service and military service.

The Committee accepted his counsel and determined that in 2020, the expiration date of the temporary order on the subject, recruitment will go into effect for all haredim, upon reaching the age of 18, with the exception of 1800 haredim granted "special scholar" status.

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Regarding deferment until the age of 21, the attorney general wrote, "These orders damage the equality, they cannot be seen as standing orders, but they should be viewed as temporary measures towards the end of their validity. The Knesset and government may need them again, depending on the situation that prevails and taking into account the damage they cause to equality. Temporary orders can continue beyond the period of adjustment, meaning after July 2017, provided that they are not too long, so that they can be examined in a reasonable period of time."

The Committee did not cover the issue of enlistment of students in hesder yeshivas, whose service periods were extended by one month, to 17 months. Environment Minister Amir Peretz emphasized that, "The inequality between the haredi yeshivas and the hesder yeshivas is not unreasonable. An addition of a month to the service of hesder yeshiva students only obscures the problem.”

MK Yoni Shatbun (Habayit Hayehudi) asked "not to steer the discussion from the real issue. It would be foolish to hurt the hesder arrangement, which is a track that values carrying the burden. The Peri Committee should concentrate mainly on equalizing the burden and expanding participation in society. Remember that historical processes are not done with the stroke of an axe."

On Sunday, the law will go before the government for approval and immediately after, it will go to the Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs. From there, it will be sent for completion of the legislative process in the Knesset.