Yuli Edelstein shelves Israel’s draft enlistment law, citing coalition instability, while reaffirming commitment to meaningful Haredi enlistment and rejecting accusations of political sabotage.
Jerusalem — After more than a year of intense political wrangling and negotiations, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein has announced his decision to freeze the controversial draft enlistment law, choosing not to submit it to the Knesset plenum — a move that effectively shelves the legislation for the foreseeable future.
The decision, first reported by Kan News, stems from the recent withdrawal of the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties from government backing, making the bill’s passage all but impossible. Edelstein argued that it made no sense to force a vote on a proposal destined to fail.
“I want, wanted, and will continue to want one thing — a real enlistment law,” Edelstein told Maariv in a weekend interview. “Maybe not perfect in everyone’s eyes, but one that addresses the IDF’s real manpower needs and introduces gradual Haredi enlistment.”
The shelved legislation included institutional and personal sanctions, strict oversight, and specific quotas — all aimed at ending the abuse of Torah student exemptions. “Pretending to study Torah while avoiding service disgraces the Torah world,” Edelstein stated.
Edelstein also responded to accusations that his refusal to advance the bill was part of a broader attempt to destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. He dismissed such claims as “scare stories.”
“Netanyahu is too smart to believe I’m aligning with Lapid, Bennett, Eisenkot, or even Yair Golan. He knows there’s no basis to it,” Edelstein affirmed, rejecting rumors of defection from Likud.
Asked whether Netanyahu might consider removing him as committee chair to appease the Haredi bloc, Edelstein remained unfazed:
“It would be a political miscalculation. Such a dismissal would obliterate any chance of passing an enlistment law during this Knesset term. I won’t bend, and I won’t compromise my principles.”
Edelstein insisted that his motives are principled, not political.
“I don’t yell or curse because I have nothing to hide. I’m right, and they know it.”
The shelving of the draft bill exposes deep fractures in the ruling coalition, particularly as tensions over Haredi conscription continue to mount — an issue likely to dominate Israel’s political discourse heading into the next election cycle.
