Government bill · 25th Knesset · published as law 31 March 2026
חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי (תיקון מס' 9), התשפ"ו-2026National-Civic Service Law (Amendment No. 9), 2026 · automatic translation · suggest a correction
Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית
Topics: Military and defense* · * from the Knesset's official law classification
Official summary of the law (Knesset)
The National-Civic Service Law, 2014, is a temporary provision regulating the service of graduates of yeshivas and ultra-Orthodox educational institutions who have reached the age of 21, who serve in national-civic service as a substitute for service in the Israel Defense Forces. The service is carried out through two main tracks: civic-social service in the fields of health, welfare, education, home front security and defense; and civic-security service in bodies such as the Israel Police, the Prison Service, and the National Fire and Rescue Authority. The Law includes detailed provisions regarding the performance of the service, its duration, its conditions, and the obligations of the operating bodies, and authorizes the National-Civic Service Authority to manage and oversee the system. In order to continue enabling those whose military service has been deferred to integrate into national-civic service, the validity of the Law has been extended from time to time. Now, as part of Amendment No. 9 to the Law, it is established that the validity of the temporary provision will be extended once again, so that the Law will remain in effect until 31 August 2026.
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Hebrew original
חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי, התשע"ד–2014, הינו הוראת שעה המסדירה את שירותם של בוגרי ישיבות ומוסדות חינוך חרדיים שמלאו להם 21 שנים, המשרתים בשירות לאומי־אזרחי כתחליף לשירותם בצבא הגנה לישראל. השירות מתבצע בשני מסלולים עיקריים: שירות אזרחי-חברתי בתחומי הבריאות, הרווחה, החינוך, ביטחון הפנים והגנת העורף; ושירות אזרחי-ביטחוני בגופים דוגמת משטרת ישראל, שירות בתי הסוהר והרשות הארצית לכבאות והצלה. החוק כולל הוראות מפורטות לעניין ביצוע השירות, תקופתו, תנאיו וחובות הגופים המפעילים, ומסמיך את הרשות לשירות לאומי-אזרחי על ניהול המערך והפיקוח עליו. כדי להמשיך ולאפשר למי ששירותו הצבאי נדחה להשתלב בשירות לאומי-אזרחי, הוארך תוקפו של החוק מעת לעת. כעת, במסגרת תיקון מספר 9 לחוק, נקבע כי תוקף הוראת השעה יוארך פעם נוספת, כך שהחוק יעמוד בתוקפו עד ליום י"ח באלול התשפ"ו (31 באוגוסט 2026).
Readings
- 18 March 2026 · First readingהצעת חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי (תיקון מס' 9), התשפ"ו-2026National-Civic Service Bill (Amendment No. 9), 2026autono roll call
- 31 March 2026 · Third readingהצעת חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי (תיקון מס' 9), התשפ"ו-2026National-Civic Service Bill (Amendment No. 9), 2026autoLaw passed48 for · 39 against
What was said in the plenum
The bill seeks to extend by an additional five months, until 31 August 2026, the validity of the National-Civic Service Law, which allows yeshiva students and graduates of Haredi educational institutions who received a service deferral to integrate into a framework of national-civic service instead of military service. The debate focused on whether this is a technical and necessary move to avoid a vacuum until comprehensive regulation of Haredi conscription, or the perpetuation of a track enabling evasion of military service at a time when the IDF suffers from a severe shortage of manpower.
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Hebrew original
הצעת החוק מבקשת להאריך בחמישה חודשים נוספים, עד 31 באוגוסט 2026, את תוקפו של חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי, המאפשר לתלמידי ישיבות ובוגרי מוסדות חינוך חרדיים שקיבלו דחיית שירות להשתלב במסגרת שירות לאומי-אזרחי במקום שירות צבאי. הדיון התמקד בשאלה האם מדובר במהלך טכני והכרחי להימנעות מוואקום עד להסדרה כוללת של גיוס חרדים, או בהנצחת מסלול המאפשר השתמטות משירות צבאי בזמן שצה״ל סובל ממחסור חמור בכוח אדם.
Arguments for
- This is a temporary and technical extension required to prevent a certain legal vacuum until a comprehensive arrangement is formulated and a conscription law is legislated, and not a substantive decision on the issue of Haredi conscription.Boaz Bismuth (Likud), May Golan (Likud)
- This is an essential legislative package for strengthening the IDF's manpower, promoted in coordination with and at the request of the Chief of Staff, and delaying it for political reasons harms the security of the state.Boaz Bismuth (Likud)
- The law sets limits and conditions (such as an annual quota, minimum age, and individual approval by the commanding officer) so that it does not grant national service broadly and without oversight, and it does not provide a blanket exemption for all those subject to conscription.Boaz Bismuth (Likud), Orit Malka Strock (Religious Zionism)
Arguments against
- The law allows someone who received a service deferral and is fit for military service, including those with a combat profile, to exempt themselves from meaningful service by transferring to a short national service track without reserve duty, at a time when the IDF suffers from a severe shortage of combat soldiers.Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid), Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid), Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid), Matti Sarfatti Harcavi (Yesh Atid), Tatiana Mazarsky (Yesh Atid), Yasmin Fridman (Yesh Atid), Moshe Turpaz (Yesh Atid)
- This is a law intended solely for the Haredi sector, contrary to the equal sharing of the security and civic burden required of all citizens, especially in wartime.Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid), Matti Sarfatti Harcavi (Yesh Atid), Tatiana Mazarsky (Yesh Atid), Moshe Turpaz (Yesh Atid), Karine Elharrar (Yesh Atid)
- The Chief of Staff warned severely of a shortage of thousands of combat soldiers and of the danger of a collapse of manpower in the IDF, and instead of responding to this through conscription legislation and effective sanctions, the government is promoting a law that perpetuates an effective exemption.Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid), Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid), Ron Katz (Yesh Atid), Matti Sarfatti Harcavi (Yesh Atid)
- Presenting the law as part of a "legislative package" supporting the IDF and combat soldiers is misleading, since in practice this is a separate law disconnected from the conscription law and does not contribute to solving the manpower shortage.Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid), Ram Ben Barak (Yesh Atid), Yasmin Fridman (Yesh Atid), Naor Shiri (Yesh Atid)
- The process and timing by which the law is being advanced, including public celebrations during wartime and on the eve of a holiday, harm the dignity of the Knesset and indicate a preoccupation with politics rather than with the needs of combat soldiers and reservists.Yoav Segalovitz (Yesh Atid), Ron Katz (Yesh Atid), Yasmin Fridman (Yesh Atid), Naor Shiri (Yesh Atid), Gilad Kariv (Labor)
Who spoke (38)
| Member | Faction | Readings | Speeches | In the final vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boaz Bismuth | Likud coalition | Third reading | 2 | for |
| Elazar Stern | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Mickey Levy | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | against |
| Ram Ben Barak | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Yoav Segalovitz | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Ron Katz | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Matti Sarfatti Harcavi | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Tatiana Mazarsky | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Yasmin Fridman | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | against |
| Moshe Turpaz | Yesh Atid opposition | Third reading | 1 | against |
| Naor Shiri | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Gilad Kariv | Labor opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Alon Schuster | Blue and White opposition | First reading, Third reading | 2 | against |
| Yinon Azoulay | Shas coalition | Third reading | 1 | for |
| Orit Malka Strock | Religious Zionism coalition | Third reading | 1 | for |
| May Golan | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Merav Ben Ari | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Adi Ezuz | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Hamad Amar | Yisrael Beytenu opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Vladimir Beliak | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Debbie Biton | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Meir Cohen | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Evgeny Sova | Yisrael Beytenu opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Tally Gotliv | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Simon Davidson | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Meirav Cohen | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Michal Miriam Woldiger | Religious Zionism coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Karine Elharrar | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Naama Lazimi | Labor opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Osher Shkalim | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Sharon Nir | Yisrael Beytenu opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Shelly Tal Meron | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Nissim Vaturi | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Tzvika Foghel | Otzma Yehudit coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Ofir Katz | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Simcha Rothman | Religious Zionism coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Yair Lapid | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Issac Shimon Wasserlauf | Otzma Yehudit coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
An automatic summary of the plenum transcripts: the debate on the bill at every reading it was voted on. Arguments are given as the speakers made them; this is not an assessment. The list of speakers comes from the transcript, without a model. Transcripts of the sittings: 1, 2
Reservations to the second reading
281 reservations were filed: proposed changes to the text the committee brought to the second and third reading.
The reservations mainly sought to significantly advance the effective date of the amendment from the date stated in the law (31 August 2026) to various earlier dates, as well as to add to the section numerous conditions regarding reporting, transparency, oversight, limiting the scope and number of operating bodies, and additional public and legal conditions for implementing the extension of the national-civilian service track.
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Hebrew original
ההסתייגויות ביקשו בעיקרן להקדים משמעותית את מועד תחילת תוקפו של התיקון, מהתאריך הנקוב בחוק (31 באוגוסט 2026) למגוון תאריכים מוקדמים יותר, וכן להוסיף לסעיף תנאים רבים הנוגעים לדיווח, שקיפות, פיקוח, הגבלת היקף והיקף הגופים המפעילים, ותנאים ציבוריים ומשפטיים נוספים להפעלת ההארכה של מסלול השירות הלאומי-אזרחי.
By faction
- Labor opposition · 281 reservations · 4 members
- Yesh Atid opposition · 281 reservations · 24 members
- Yisrael Beytenu opposition · 281 reservations · 6 members
A joint reservation counts for every faction whose members filed it.
Who proposed what
- יש עתיד · 281The Yesh Atid group proposed advancing the effective date of the law to various earlier dates than the one set in the amendment, and adding to the section various conditions regarding reporting, transparency, oversight, and restrictions on the use of the extended national-civilian service track.Sections: לסעיף 1Yair Lapid, Meir Cohen, Karine Elharrar, Meirav Cohen, Elazar Stern, Mickey Levy, Merav Ben Ari, Ram Ben Barak, Yoav Segalovitz, Boaz Toporovsky, Michal Shir Segman, Yorai Lahav Hertzanu, Vladimir Beliak, Ron Katz, Matti Sarfatti Harcavi, Tatiana Mazarsky, Yasmin Fridman, Debbie Biton, Moshe Turpaz, Simon Davidson, Naor Shiri, Shelly Tal Meron, Yaron Levi, Adi Ezuz
- העבודה · 281The Work Group proposed advancing the law's effective date to several earlier dates than the one set in the amendment, and adding to the section various conditions concerning reporting, transparency, oversight, and restrictions on the use of the extended national-civic service track.Sections: לסעיף 1
- ישראל ביתנו · 281The Yisrael Beiteinu group proposed advancing the law's effective date to several earlier dates than the one set in the amendment, and adding to the section various conditions concerning reporting, transparency, oversight, and restrictions on the use of the extended national-civic service track.Sections: לסעיף 1
Asked to speak: Avi Maoz (Noam), Yinon Azoulay (Shas)
Proposers and reservation numbers are extracted automatically from the committee version, and the count is checked against the numbers printed in it. The descriptions are an automatic summary. Committee version for the second and third reading (PDF)
Reservations, sections and other votes (1)
In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.
- 31 March 2026 · Second reading · סעיף 1הצעת חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי (תיקון מס' 9), התשפ"ו-2026National-Civic Service Bill (Amendment No. 9), 2026auto47 for · 39 againstVote on sections of the bill