IDF ‘will not sign mass exemptions’, warns army chief amid freeze on Charedi draft dodge arrests

"The IDF will not sign mass exemptions,” he added.

Yaakov Asher MK speaks with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri MK during a vote on the bill to freeze arrests of Charedi draft evaders during a plenum session of the Knesset on July 14, 2026 (Flash90)Flash90

The bill, which suspends arrests and criminal proceedings against Charedi men who evade draft orders until at least the end of November, passed the Knesset by 58 votes to 54 after a fractious plenum session.

Coalition lawmakers were greeted by the opposition with shouts of “disgrace” and “get out” as they arrived in the chamber.

Netanyahu left the chamber after a particularly heated row during the debate and did not return for the eventual vote.

Zamir also objected to the creation of a military committee that would decide who qualifies as a yeshiva student, arguing that the army lacks the expertise to make such determinations and that placing officers in that role would damage trust among soldiers and reservists.

The intervention comes as the IDF struggles with a shortage of around 15,000 troops, including between 7,000 and 8,000 combat soldiers, after nearly three years of war.

Opposition figures seized on the letter, with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accusing the government of ignoring repeated military warnings, while Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman said the coalition was harming national security in order to preserve its alliance with the Charedi parties.

The legislation forms part of a wider political agreement between Netanyahu and his strictly-Orthodox coalition partners ahead of October's general election.