Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Likud faction on Sunday which unanimously approved the Plesner Committee conclusions after tens of thousands of Israelis called for equal share of the burden on Saturday.
Netanyahu now needs to pour substance into a new bill replacing the Tal Law and is faced with the ultimate test: Will be put forward a bill that will revolutionize national draft or will he opt for a softened bill that will appease the haredim?
Various Likud Knesset members demanded adjustments to the recommendations, primarily the incorporation of Arab-Israelis in the IDF. Meanwhile, the protest leaders discussed their next steps.
Netanyahu opened the meeting by saying, “The new bill must change reality, gradually increase the number of those who serve and be handled responsibly to maintain national unity.
“I fully understand those who serve and their families. Everyone must share the burden. We shall give positive incentives to those who serve and negative ones to those who evade draft. Draft dodgers will not receive the same as those who serve. We are doing this 64 years after the issue wasn’t handled properly. This is a historic change.”
The Likud faction approved the following principles as a basis for a new bill to be decided by Netanyahu and Shaul Mofaz in an upcoming meeting:
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– Imposing the principle of universal service on all Israeli citizens.
– Imposing personal liability on anyone trying to evade the service.
– Offering those serving in the IDF incentives, including shorter service.
– Formulating an effective enforcement system against those violating draft directives.
– Mandating the draft of ultra-Orthodox men.
– Applying the principle of universal service to the Arab sector.
National Service opportunities will be decided by the end of the year and legislation will be completed by March 2013. A note was inserted on behalf of the Likud saying there is reason for the delay.
Prior to the meeting, Deputy Minister Gila Gamliel said that the Plesner report fails to aptly address large segments of society such as women. She said she will move to implement a report discussing the enlistment of women to the IDF.
After the meeting Netanyahu and Mofaz agreed to establish a team that will formulate the bill with the aim of presenting it at the next cabinet meeting. The team includes Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon and Yohanan Plesner and will also consult with representatives from the Defense, Finance and Justice ministries as well as civil service officials. There will be no haredi or Arab representatives.
Netanyahu said that in order for it to succeed, integration must be carried out gradually and in such a way that doesn’t divide the nation. “Minister Mofaz and I agreed on establishing a team to formulate the bill. We shall historically transform the division of the burden and maintain national unity,” Netanyahu said.
Members of the equal share of the burden campaign appeared unfazed by the news. “This is the same pattern we saw in the past few months. Time is running out before the Tal Law expires – there is no more time for teams and spins.”
The leaders of the campaign met to discuss their next step after Saturday’s mass protest in Tel Aviv. They stressed four fundamental principles:
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Quotas of 1,000 outstanding yeshiva students who will be allowed to continue their studies while the rest enlist
Substantial sanctions on draft-dodgers
Enlistment at the age of 18
Rewards for those serving in the IDF
“If the bill contains these principles we shall endorse it, and if not we shall hold another rally in two weeks,” Itay Benhorin said. It was also decided to promote the principles at the Knesset in the coming days. National Student Union chairman Itzik Shmuli said that the students will work to keep the issue on the public agenda.
Earlier, Chairman of the Joint Camp movement Idan Miller, said: “If the prime minister passes the Plesner Committee’s recommendations verbatim at the Likud faction meeting and initiates quick legislation that will incorporate these recommendations, we shall regard it as a major triumph for our campaign.”
He continued, “However, if the prime minister continues his political tricks, establishes another committee and tries to root out the Plesner recommendations which already represent major concessions to the haredim, we shall oppose. We shall get the masses back to the streets as we demonstrated yesterday.”
@ Leon:
I agree with your apparent sarcasm. If you are serious then you are really brain dead. You can’t be serious, are you? 😛
Leon, Have you had a head injury? You talk nonsense.
Almost everyone talks around the major problem and that is the presence of hostile Arabs in he whole of Israel. The need to annex Judea and Samaria is urgent and the removal of all Arabs who do not wish to live under Israeli rule should be paid off and moved to any country of choice.
I think that the heradim might be right-studying torah protects the country. Maybe it would be a good idea to throw all military equipment into the sea and replace all army units with torah studying units, making it mandatory that all young men and women study torah for 3 years thus protecting the country .Imagine not having to have military equipment , the economy would prosper.
@ yamit82:
In its extreme, one could establish labor camps for Arabs in order to serve while protecting the nation. Those Arab citizens hostile to the Jewish state should be encouraged/incentivized to relocate to Jordan or Egypt. Perhaps these Arabs can serve Israel, by becoming exported indentured servants (slaves) in China. This may be most applicable to those languishing in luxurious Israeli prisons, where in their idolness, they study Mein Kampf and the Quran, while dreaming of their next jihad! This is not religion, it is sedition! Islam is hostile toward all nations and people not submitted to Isalm.
Sorry, but it is time to purge the nation of this fifth column. Arab youth who throw stones should have their hands cut off. See how they like Sharia style justice! Imams who incite this activity should have their tongues cut out so they can no longer preach!
Deny the right to vote to any Arab or Jew who refuses to be inducted. Those who are deemed problematic to the IDF, and or the State should be put in units or positions where they can do the least harm like building fences and removing Arabs from their homes set for demolition etc.
Make all national projects a project of the MD/IDF and create work battalions to execute those projects. Think of it as National Service in uniform subject to military law and discipline.
Arabs who choose not to serve would be hostile if forced. Instead let them pay a special tax just like Jews in the past who lived under Arab rule and who did not convert also had to pay a special tax. Turnabout is fair play.
In the U.S. some kind of Jewish service would also be constructive in educating and unifying American Jews. Instead we have Jewish leftists who contribute nothing except nasty agitation. Why not have young Jews visit the sick and assist the poor and learn Judaism and even teach their parents. People who have it too easy get spoiled and we already have too much of this in the U.S.
It is fair to involve all sectors of an Israeli society in a national service. Although the Israeli Arabs enjoy democratic rights in Israel more than in any other Arab countries, because of negative influences by PA and Hamas, unless special precaution is taken some of them could be harmful to the national security. I hope the Israeli government could come up with workable procedures by taking into account the pros and cons of having the Arabs in national services.