IDF still needs 12,000 amid ultra-Orthodox conscription controversy
Disagreements between coalition lawmakers abound, with the military saying it will only be able to enlist 4,800 ultra-Orthodox men
The conscription law crisis continues as lawmakers are still dragging feet on a proposal for a reformed draft law agreed upon by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Yuli Edelstein. As of Wednesday, no bill has been presented to enshrine ultra-Orthodox draft exemptions that could save the coalition. In the meantime, a representative from the Agudat Yisrael faction of United Torah Judaism said that the coalition is wasting time and losing the ultra-Orthodox party. The abstention last week from voting with the coalition on the prisoners' profits law was just the "straw that broke the camel's back," a warning, he said.
In parallel, the IDF reports a shortage of manpower, the head of the Planning and Manpower Division said in the State Review Committee that there is a deficit of 12,000 soldiers, but the IDF is prepared to enlist only 4,800 in the coming year.