Yisrael Beytenu MK Avigdor Liberman accused Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday of questioning candidates for the IDF chief of staff opening about their positions on the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft bill currently being debated in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Katz categorically denied the claim, which Liberman made ahead of a weekly faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem.
“Contrary to the lies of one of the heads of the opposition, no candidate for chief of staff was asked even one question about the [haredi] draft law,” Katz said.
Candidates interviewed
Liberman spoke on the backdrop of a party banner with a new slogan, “No Draft – No Vote” (translated from Hebrew). Liberman called for the government to condition the right to vote in elections on either national civil service or IDF service.
Katz interviewed three candidates to take over as the head of the military, after IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi announced his resignation last week, saying he would end his term on March 6. The nominees are: Defense Ministry Director-General and former deputy IDF chief Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, outgoing IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram, and Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai.
Katz presented his “principles” for the haredi draft law in two meetings in the committee earlier this month. Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs presented to the panel on Monday a more detailed proposal, which includes the gradual increase over seven years until reaching approximately 9,000 haredim draftees per year in 2032.
The Attorney-General’s Office said following Katz’s presentation that the principles did not meet constitutional standards of equality since they still included “significant privileges” for haredim.