Amid the storm, Likud clarifies: "Whoever does not study Torah – will go to the army"

Amid the political storm surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks in an interview on 'Kol B'Rama', Likud clarifies that his consistent position is that 'whoever does not study Torah will go to the army'. Opposition leaders attacked, claiming it is a 'draft-dodging deal in exchange for a government'.

Amid the political storm surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks in an interview on 'Kol B'Rama' radio, Likud clarifies that his consistent position is that 'whoever does not study Torah will go to the army'. In the Likud statement, the opposition's claims were rejected and defined as 'another fake news storm'. Likud claimed they would enlist 23,000 Haredim in three years, compared to only 5,000 that the leftist bloc brings. It was further stated that 'behind closed doors, they offer Haredim a full exemption on condition they topple Netanyahu'. Opposition leaders attacked: Yair Lapid claimed Netanyahu revealed a 'disgusting deal with Deri and Goldknopf – draft-dodging from the IDF in exchange for a government', Naftali Bennett said 'the Bibi-Deri deal has been exposed', and Avigdor Lieberman accused Netanyahu of being a 'hostage of the draft-dodgers'. Gadi Eisenkot declared that the elections are between 'Netanyahu's draft-dodging government and a Zionist enlistment government'. The article quotes Netanyahu's remarks in the interview, where he said 'whoever does not study will go enlist', and referred to the possibility that Haredim would join Eisenkot.