ALBAWABA - Avigdor Liberman, who used to be Israel's defense minister, said Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, was stealing money from troops to give it to ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities whose members mostly don't serve in the military as Liberman said they should on Sunday.
Liberman said in a statement to Radio 103 FM that Netanyahu puts keeping the Haredi parties in his governing coalitions above all else, even if it hurts Israel's military forces. He said that a lot of public money is being spent to meet the needs of Shas and United Torah Judaism, which are parties that require this in return for their political support. These parties want to keep broad exemptions to the draft.
Liberman's words come during a debate in the Knesset over a contentious bill that would let full-time yeshiva students keep getting yearly deferrals from military service. Critics from all sides say the plan makes policing laxer and gives draft dodgers a legal way to stay out of the military.
The opposition leader, who used to be in charge of defense, finance, foreign affairs, and other areas, said that if he ever becomes prime minister, he will make all citizens serve in the military and set up a formal state committee to investigate the mistakes made during the attacks on October 7, 2023. He said Netanyahu was stopping a real probe and supporting an unofficial committee with little power instead.
Netanyahu has stood up for his methods, saying that the political pressure from the trial that is still going on against him makes it hard for him to be in charge during a time when there are more security risks. He has turned down calls for a state investigation, which has led to more criticism from civil society groups and opposition parties.
After Shas and United Torah Judaism left the ruling coalition, the draft bill raised political tensions, and early elections could be called if that happens. Their leaders say that the allowances are meant to protect religious study, but people against them say that they make the law unfair.
In 2024, Israel's Supreme Court decided that Haredi men must be forced into the military and that public money cannot be given to religious schools whose students do not serve. Since that time, protests by ultra-Orthodox groups have grown stronger.
People are more angry now that the Israeli force is running out of soldiers because of long regional wars. Critics say that as more people are exempted from military service, it becomes even more unfair to the secular Israelis and reservists who have to serve during ongoing military operations on multiple fronts.
