A budding compromise over an amendment to Israel Defense Service Law may help avert early elections, Israel Hayom learned Wednesday.
Earlier this month, coalition officials said the growing public protests over recent controversial legislation such as the nation-state law and the amendment to the surrogacy law, coupled with a dispute surrounding the conscription law – a political hot potato in and of itself – are undermining the coalition's stability.
They predicted elections could be held in January or February 2019, rather on Nov. 5, 2019, as scheduled.
The issue of mandatory military service for the ultra-Orthodox sector has dogged Israeli politics for years. Many in the ultra-Orthodox community believe military service should be secondary to Torah study. However, secular Israelis oppose being expected to shoulder the burden without any contribution by a substantial sector of the population.
Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox faction United Torah Judaism has refused to discuss any amendment to the military draft law, demanding a blanket exemption for yeshiva students.
United Torah Judaism Chairman Yakov Litzman has repeatedly said that if any move was made to pass the current haredi conscription bill, he would exit the coalition, effectively triggering early elections.
This steadfast opposition – not shared by Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party Shas, which is willing to discuss a compromise on the issue – has caused tension between the parties making up United Torah Judaism, Degel Hatorah and Agudat Israel, with the former accusing the latter of being unnecessarily bullheaded.
The recently discussed compromise, which Agudat Israel is said to be considering favorably, seeks to change articles touching on conscription quotas for the haredi sector.
The new draft says that rather than stipulating that the current exemptions in the law would expire in six years in the event the haredim fail to meet set enlistment quotas, the law would state that the government would be able to set these quotas as needed.
The amendment has to be approved by United Torah Judaism's Council of Torah Sages before the party can vote for it, but coalition insiders told Israel Hayom that they believe the rabbis will greenlight the move.
It remains unclear, however, whether Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) would approve another change to legislation his ministry has been working on for nearly a year.
Lieberman has stated in the past that he "wouldn't agree to change so much as one letter in this law," but coalition officials believe he could be swayed if it meant avoiding early elections.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid criticized the proposed compromise, saying it "effectively debunks the criminal sanctions" imposed in the amendment on the haredi sector for failing to meet conscription quotas.
"It was clear to me that [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu would capitulate to the haredim – he always does- but I certainly hope that Lieberman won't agree to a change that would render the new bill hollow. This would be a betrayal [of the public]. If Lieberman agrees, he will never again be able to tell Israelis he gives them his word."
Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer said his party "didn't' receive any appeal about this. No one has spoken to us about any compromise and we have no idea what this is about."
