Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that he would oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bill to prolong the haredi exemption from IDF and national service.
Just as he was about to fly out to the US for meetings with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about the Gaza war, he gave a parting shot to the prime minister.
While his main criticism was and has been against Netanyahu and the haredim, he did also press National Unity party leader Benny Gantz to show some more flexibility.
Netanyahu has been rumored to be ready to extend the haredi exemption from IDF and national service in practice while trying to make some symbolic gesture toward greater service.
Gantz offers minimum support of draft
Gantz has said he will only support, at minimum, obligating haredim to do national service.
Gallant has been more ready to compromise with the haredim than Gantz, but still feels the haredim must make a major change in the aftermath of the current war in which 1,500 Israelis have died, and IDF soldiers continue to die in Gaza almost daily.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid has said even Gantz’s ideas are too lenient toward haredim and that they should need to serve in the IDF like other Israelis.
Gallant also emphasized that his US meetings would hopefully help bridge differences between the US and Israel on attacking Rafah, continuing the war, humanitarian aid, and “the Day After” in Gaza.
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