Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu assured the chareidi community that his administration plans to push forward a bill that would grant widespread exemptions to chareidi men from compulsory military service by the end of the month, according to reports in the Hebrew media.

Housing Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf, who leads the chareidi United Torah Judaism party in the coalition, reportedly issued a warning on Tuesday, threatening to block the 2025 budget unless the exemption bill is passed within the next three weeks.

If the budget fails to pass, it could potentially cause the collapse of the government.

Sources say that after Netanyahu’s cabinet was informed that a meeting would take place on October 31 to approve the national budget, Goldknopf cautioned that “the prime minister is aware that the budget law will not be brought up for discussion in the government until the enlistment law is passed.”

Back in June, the High Court of Justice ruled that the long-standing practice of exempting chareidi men from military service had no legal foundation. Following this ruling, the IDF issued draft orders to several thousand chareidi men, sparking protests and strong resistance from chareidi religious and political leaders.

The bill that aims to address the exemption issue is currently stalled in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Its chairman, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, has stated that the bill will only advance if lawmakers manage to reach a “broad consensus” on the matter.

Speaking at a conference this week, Edelstein acknowledged that any bill his committee pushes forward will likely not fully please either side, but he believes it will be a “good law” that will help bring in additional manpower for the IDF.

Netanyahu reportedly committed to Goldknopf in September that he would expedite the passage of the bill once the Knesset reconvenes at the end of the month, following earlier threats from the chareidi parties not to support the budget.

The opposition expressed outrage on Tuesday over the timing of the proposed bill, especially in the middle of wartime. MK Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu lashed out, saying, “While IDF soldiers and reservists are fighting in Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria, the government continues to promote the exemption law.”

“Universal recruitment is not just about fairness; it’s an existential and vital need for the state’s security. Everyone has to pull their weight and share the burden,” Liberman emphasized in a post on X.

Yair Golan, head of The Democrats, also took to X to ask, “Are our children’s lives worth less? For them, the answer is yes.”

Public support for the bill has significantly waned since the Gaza war began, with the army facing ongoing manpower shortages and reservists being called up repeatedly. Even within Netanyahu’s coalition, including members of his Likud party, there have been warnings against supporting any bill that offers overly broad exemptions.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a meeting with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana on Tuesday to discuss the 2025 state budget.

Earlier this month, Smotrich presented an initial framework for the 2025 budget, which is based on a deficit target of up to 4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. This will require NIS 35 billion ($9.5 billion) in adjustments to accommodate the financial strain caused by the ongoing war.

{Matzav.com}