MP defends Smotrich ally over ultra-Orthodox draft claims, says 70,000 conscription notices in a day is impossible

Israeli MP Efrat Raitan has defended controversial comments made by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s coalition partner Yair Golan regarding the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, arguing that logistical realities make mass drafting impractical. Raitan claimed it would be impossible to send 70,000 military conscription notices in a single day, suggesting critics were oversimplifying the implementation challenges involved in expanding military service to Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community.

The remarks come amid ongoing political tensions over the military draft exemptions long granted to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, a contentious issue that has divided Israel’s coalition government. The government has faced criticism for failing to implement recent Supreme Court rulings that declared the blanket exemptions unconstitutional and demanded a law regulating military service for all citizens.

Raitan’s defence of Golan also included criticism directed at the government itself, accusing ministers of mismanaging the conscription process and failing to properly prepare for drafting ultra-Orthodox recruits. She suggested that concerns about reducing flight operations around election periods indicated political rather than practical considerations were influencing policy decisions on the matter.

The ultra-Orthodox draft issue remains one of the most contentious topics in Israeli politics, with significant disagreements between secular and religious communities over military service obligations and the future structure of Israel’s armed forces.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.