Government Secretary Says Coalition Will Secure Majority for Haredi Draft Bill

Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs said on Thursday that the coalition would secure a majority to pass the haredi draft bill. Fuchs spoke in a Kan Reshet Bet interview the day after the bill returned to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The measure had been stalled for months before debate resumed.

Fuchs dismissed objections from Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel and other coalition lawmakers who said the bill would not solve the IDF’s manpower shortage. He stated that coalition leadership does not manage legislation according to Haskel’s views.

Fuchs noted that other controversial bills, including the death penalty for terrorists measure, initially lacked clear support but later passed. He said a few lawmakers remain on the fence but expected enough votes to emerge soon.

IDF Manpower Concerns Brig.-Gen.

Shai Tayeb, head of the IDF Planning Directorate, told the committee that the IDF faces a severe manpower shortage. He said 12,000 soldiers are needed immediately and projected the gap would reach 17,000 by January 2027. Fuchs said the bill, along with a separate measure extending mandatory service to 36 months, is the only tool available to address the shortage.

The IDF has warned of the shortfall after more than two years of war.