In his recent public sermon, Rabbi Landau warned that “if the State of Israel declares war on Torah scholars, the global Haredi Jewish community will rise up in protest.” Following this week’s events, his aides stated, “The State of Israel has declared war on the sons of Torah. The Haredi world will launch an unprecedented global struggle.”
The comments come amid renewed political maneuvering over Israel’s military conscription law, after Likud MK Boaz Bismuth replaced Yuli Edelstein as chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The government is expected to revisit legislation that would determine the status of ultra-Orthodox exemptions from military service.
Earlier Wednesday, Bismuth met with representatives of reservists' advocacy groups, who expressed deep concern over potential compromises. “We presented our outline and red lines,” they said in a joint statement, “including a clear demand for full transparency, direct dialogue with the serving public and a refusal to accept any backroom deals.”
“We are here as long as there is a real, open and serious discussion — and only if we are fully involved in shaping the law,” the statement added. “We will not allow legislation that further entrenches draft evasion at the expense of those who shoulder the burden.”