Ma'ariv reports that according to reports about the plans being made
to ensure equality regarding the draft, it seems that the coalition
agreement will provide that those who refuse to military duty will be
heavily punished with harsh sanctions. Among these: they will be
forbidden to leave the country if they do not serve military or
civilian duty; their National Security [Bituach Leumi] status will be
disenfranchised, bringing the denial of other personal benefits. This
package of sanctions will be based on the resolutions of the Plesner
committee submitted eight months ago.
The committee headed by MK Yochanan Plesner from Kadima to encourage
or force national service by chareidim, founded at the prime
minister's request, determined that the responsibility for army
mobilization is a personal one. This means that it attaches to
individuals and not to educational or cultural institutions or to the
community as a whole. Thus any sanctions are, according to them, to be
directed to individuals. Any chareidi choosing not to serve shall be
subject to various sanctions, among them a monetary fine of 7,500 NIS,
a criminal police record, denial of certain benefits regarding
municipal taxes, the eliminating of housing benefits, the monthly
kollel government stipend of 850 NIS and the abolishment of the status
as a yeshiva student vis a vis Bituach Leumi.
The government will also establish a direct correlation between rising
goals for army service of chareidim and the overall budget allocated
to yeshivos in general so that yeshivos whose students serve will get
more money and those who students do not serve will get less.
The committee presented its conclusions in spite of the prime
minister's decision to dismantle it after it lost the confidence of
most of the coalition parties at the time.
The committee determined that Israeli Arabs will also fall under the
principle of equality of service but it did not formulate actual plans
for organizing civil service for the individual Arab citizens. The
report calls for the creation of suitable channels for national
service by the end of 2012 and passing the necessary legislation by
the end of March 2013. The committee also recommended that sanctions
be imposed upon the heads of local councils who actively work against
volunteers who seek to do national service.
