'I can no longer stand by,' Deputy FM resigns after ultra-orthodox draft evasion bill passes Knesset

The law to freeze the arrests of deserters was approved Tuesday at the end of a heated debate in the Knesset plenum. A majority of 59 MKs voting in favor of the bill, compared to 54 who voted against. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived at the plenum before the vote on the law, was met with cries of "Shame" from opposition members, and as a result, left the plenum hall and did not vote.

During the discussion, calls were also heard among coalition MKs, who criticized Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana: "It is irresponsible to leave Limor Son Har-Melech to chair such a discussion. Ohana should have taken the seat himself, especially when the Prime Minister is present."

With the approval of the law, the Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beiteinu parties petitioned the High Court of Justice against it. The petition stated: "This is the crowning achievement of the Knesset and the government after four years in office, three years after the events of October 7: deepening discrimination between citizens, applying one standard to secular, traditional, and religious citizens subject to military service, and another to ultra-Orthodox citizens."

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who voted against the law, resigned from the government after its approval. Haskel spoke to reporters saying, "I stand before you today with a very heavy heart after the Draft Evaders Law passed in the Knesset. It is a law that harms those who serve and have been fighting on the front line for three years. Today, after the law granting exemption to defectors passed, I feel that I cannot back the government. I have decided to resign."

She ended her statement claiming, “I can no longer stand by and I cannot stand with the government that today, by passing this law, harmed the most important people who have been standing for three years and defending the State of Israel.”

MK Dan Illouz from the Likud party, who voted against the law, wrote on his X account after the law was approved: "A slap in the face." MK Avi Maoz also came out against the law and attacked the ultra-Orthodox parties saying, "This is just a band-aid ahead of the elections. Those who study should continue to study, but those who don't should enlist and participate in the great mitzvah of defending the homeland. The ultra-Orthodox political representatives should have conducted themselves throughout the entire term as they did in the last two weeks."

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot voiced his disapproval of the vote on X writing, "The voice is the voice of Netanyahu, and the 58 hands that were raised were the hands of the most reckless coalition in the history of Israel. This is a government that chooses to weaken the IDF in the midst of a brutal war, while the finest sons and daughters of this nation are deployed across all fronts, and gives sweeping approval and incentive to draft-dodging. Netanyahu, the Chief of Staff's warning letter has been placed before you, and the writing is already on the wall in bold letters. You will not be able to claim again that you didn't know and that you weren't warned in time."

In contrast, the chairman of the Shas party, Aryeh Deri, welcomed the law exclaing, "The Knesset is saying in a clear voice to the ousted Attorney General - enough with the persecution, enough with the hatred towards Torah students. Who would have believed that in the Jewish state, yeshiva students, the precious tribe of Levi of the people of Israel, would be treated as criminals? Today, we have begun to correct this injustice. Do not let the Attorney General and inciters of their kind divide us."