Liberman proposes 2018 Haredi enlistment bill as basis for negotiations

Avigdor Liberman suggested using his 2018 Haredi enlistment bill as a starting point for talks, after previously criticizing a 2025 coalition bill. Yoaz Hendel warned the anti-Netanyahu bloc against compromising on the draft.

Opposition politician Avigdor Liberman, known for his secularist stance, clarified on Sunday that he still supports mandatory enlistment for all, despite his recent openness to a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties that oppose universal service. He pointed to a 2018 bill he authored as a 'worthy basis for reaching agreements,' though he acknowledged it would need amendments after the October 7, 2023 attack and the ensuing war. The article compares Liberman's 2018 bill to the 2025 coalition bill by MK Boaz Bismuth, which Liberman's party had previously slammed as an 'evasion law.' Key differences: Liberman's bill does not penalize individual draft evaders (instead cutting funding to Haredi institutions if enlistment targets are missed), has lower annual targets (starting at 3,348 conscripts in year one versus Bismuth's 8,160), and operates on a longer timeline. Bismuth's bill revokes drivers' licenses and travel rights for evaders. Liberman's bill also does not exempt yeshiva students, while Bismuth's does. Political commentators doubt Haredi parties will abandon Netanyahu. Bismuth publicly attacked Liberman on X, calling him a 'softie.' The article notes the 2018 bill was drafted before the current military crisis, when the IDF now says it needs 12,000 new soldiers.