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Government bill · 20th Knesset · published as law 30 November 2015

חוק שירות ביטחון (תיקון מס' 21), התשע"ו-2015Law for Security Service (Amendment No. 21), 2015 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית

Topics: Military and defense*, Police and internal security* · * from the Knesset's official law classification

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

Amendment No. 19 to the Security Service Law, enacted in March 2014, established a new mechanism for drafting yeshiva students into military service. Under this mechanism, it was determined that until 2017 an adjustment period would apply, during which the Government would set recruitment targets for yeshiva students, with these targets not being binding. Starting in 2017, a permanent period was set to apply, in which the recruitment targets would become binding, and failure to meet them would lead to mandatory conscription being applied to all yeshiva students, except for 1,800 persistent students each year. Alongside Amendment No. 19, the National-Civic Service Law was enacted, which established a complementary mechanism for the service of yeshiva students within a framework of national service. The current amendment extends the adjustment period from three years to six years, until 2020, and establishes a second adjustment period, until 2023. During the second adjustment period, as long as the recruitment targets are met, mandatory conscription will not apply to all yeshiva students. If the recruitment targets are not met, the Minister of Defense will be authorized to continue deferring the service of yeshiva students, in scopes to be determined with regard to the recruitment targets set by the Government. The recruitment targets for the IDF will be set by the Government on the recommendation of the Minister of Defense, while the recruitment targets for national-civic service will be set by the Government on the recommendation of the minister in charge of national-civic service. The current amendment further establishes that an inter-ministerial team, headed by the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, will be established to formulate multi-year plans to promote meeting the recruitment targets during the adjustment periods. The amendment also provides that the National-Civic Service Law will expire in 2023, and the obligation imposed on the Government to examine a permanent arrangement for service consisting mainly of civic-security service by 2019 will be canceled.

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Hebrew original

תיקון מס' 19 לחוק שירות ביטחון, שנחקק בחודש מרץ 2014, קבע מנגנון חדש לגיוס תלמידי ישיבות לשירות צבאי. במנגנון זה נקבע כי עד שנת 2017 תחול תקופת הסתגלות, במהלכה הממשלה תקבע יעדי לגיוס של תלמידי ישיבות, כאשר יעדים אלה לא יהיו מחייבים. החל משנת 2017 נקבע כי תחול תקופת קבע, בה יעדי הגיוס יהפכו מחייבים ואי עמידה בהם תוביל להחלת גיוס חובה על כלל תלמידי הישיבות, למעט 1,800 תלמידים מתמידים בכל שנה. לצד תיקון מס' 19, נחקק חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי, שקבע מנגנון משלים של שירות תלמידי ישיבות במסגרת שירות לאומי. התיקון הנוכחי מאריך את תקופת ההסתגלות משלוש שנים לשש שנים, עד שנת 2020, וקובע תקופת הסתגלות שנייה, עד שנת 2023. במהלך תקופת ההסתגלות השנייה, כל עוד תהיה עמידה ביעדי הגיוס, לא יחול גיוס חובה על כלל תלמידי הישיבות. אם לא תהיה עמידה ביעדי הגיוס, שר הביטחון יהיה רשאי להמשיך ולדחות את שירותם של תלמידי ישיבות, בהיקפים שיקבע בשים לב ליעדי הגיוס שקבעה הממשלה. יעדי הגיוס לצה"ל ייקבעו על ידי הממשלה בהמלצת שר הביטחון, בעוד שיעדי הגיוס לשירות הלאומי-אזרחי ייקבעו על ידי הממשלה בהמלצת השר הממונה על השירות הלאומי-אזרחי. עוד קובע התיקון הנוכחי כי יוקם צוות בין-משרדי, בראשות מנכ"ל משרד הביטחון, שיגבש תכניות רב שנתיות לקידום העמידה ביעדי הגיוס במהלך תקופות ההסתגלות. התיקון קובע גם כי תוקפו של חוק שירות לאומי-אזרחי יפוג בשנת 2023, ותבוטל החובה שהוטלה על הממשלה לבחון מתווה קבע לשירות שעיקרו שירות אזרחי-ביטחוני עד 2019.

Readings

What was said in the plenum

The bill seeks to amend Amendment No. 19 (the Conscription Law/Equality in Sharing the Burden) in a way that extends the adjustment period for the conscription of Haredim until 2023, cancels the automatic conscription obligation in the event of failure to meet targets and transfers the discretion to the Minister of Defense, and also limits the validity of the National-Civic Service Law. The debate centered on whether the change promotes or harms equality in sharing the burden and the conscription of Haredim into the IDF and civic service, against the backdrop of a wave of terror attacks that occurred during that period, and on mutual accusations regarding political-coalition motives versus claims that the cancellation actually benefits the conscription trend.

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Hebrew original

הצעת החוק מבקשת לתקן את תיקון מס' 19 (חוק הגיוס/השוויון בנטל) באופן שמאריך את תקופת ההסתגלות לגיוס חרדים עד 2023, מבטל את חובת הגיוס האוטומטית במקרה של אי-עמידה ביעדים ומעביר את שיקול הדעת לשר הביטחון, ומגביל גם את תוקף חוק השירות הלאומי-אזרחי. הדיון נסב על השאלה אם השינוי מקדם או פוגע בשוויון בנטל ובגיוס חרדים לצה״ל ולשירות האזרחי, על הרקע של גל פיגועי טרור שהתרחש באותם ימים, ועל האשמות הדדיות בדבר מניעים פוליטיים-קואליציוניים מול טענות שהביטול מיטיב בפועל עם מגמת הגיוס.

Arguments for

  • The law does not cancel the Conscription Law but only extends the adjustment period and changes the way of dealing with failure to meet targets, based on the belief that a moderate approach, based on cooperation and dialogue rather than coercion and defiance, will strengthen the motivation to enlist and serve the conscription goals better than criminal sanctions.
    Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud), Moshe Ya`alon (Likud)
  • Reality on the ground proves that the enlistment and employment integration of Haredim continue to rise gradually even without coercion, and that integration through effective enabling and encouragement is more effective than coercive legislation that provokes unrest and resistance.
    Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud), Moshe Ya`alon (Likud)
  • The previous law (Amendment 19) was accompanied by defiant, inciting and harmful discourse against the Haredi public, and included expressions and treatment that the Haredi public felt were inappropriate, and therefore there is justice in returning the dialogue to a more respectful path.
    Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid), Yoav Kisch (Likud), Moshe Ya`alon (Likud), Israel Eichler (United Torah Judaism)
  • Torah study is a supreme value and part of Jewish history and tradition, and those whose vocation is Torah study should be allowed to continue studying without being subjected to criminal sanctions as if they had committed an offense.
    Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism), Yoav Ben Tzur (Shas), Israel Eichler (United Torah Judaism)
  • The coalition and the government are committed to the coalition agreements signed with the Haredi parties, and this change is required in order to fulfill them and allow governmental stability.
    Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud), Yoav Kisch (Likud)

Arguments against

Who spoke (40)
MemberFactionReadingsSpeechesIn the final vote
Tzachi HanegbiLikud coalitionThird reading20for
Ofer ShelahYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading8against
Yoseph YonahZionist Union oppositionThird reading1against
Haim JelinYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Omer BarlevZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Karine ElharrarYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Orly Levi-AbekasisYisrael Beytenu oppositionThird reading2against
Merav MichaeliZionist Union oppositionThird reading2no record
Aliza LavieYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Sofa LandverYisrael Beytenu oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Eyal Ben ReuvenZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading4against
Eytan BroshiZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading2against
Mickey LevyYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading11against
Eitan CabelZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading5against
Amir PeretzZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading7against
Nachman ShaiZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Meir CohenYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading6against
Yaakov PerryYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Oded ForerYisrael Beytenu oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Ayelet Nahmias-VerbinZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading5against
Yael GermanYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Avigdor LibermanYisrael Beytenu oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Elazar SternYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading15against
שרן השכל (הליכוד)—Third reading4—
Yoel HassonZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading5against
Yoav KischLikud coalitionThird reading5no record
Yoel RazvozovYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading, Third reading4against
Isaac HerzogZionist Union oppositionFirst reading, Third reading3against
Oren Asaf HazanLikud coalitionThird reading1for
Moshe Ya`alonLikud coalitionFirst reading9for
Manuel TrajtenbergZionist Union oppositionFirst reading1no record
Menachem Eliezer MosesUnited Torah Judaism coalitionFirst reading5for
Meir PorushUnited Torah Judaism coalitionFirst reading4for
Yoav Ben TzurShas coalitionFirst reading4for
Revital SwidZionist Union oppositionFirst reading2against
Yair LapidYesh Atid oppositionFirst reading1against
Tzipi LivniZionist Union oppositionFirst reading2against
Israel EichlerUnited Torah Judaism coalitionFirst reading3for
Robert IlatovYisrael Beytenu oppositionFirst reading2against
Erel MargalitZionist Union oppositionFirst reading1against

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. A very long debate: every speech was shortened to the same length before summarising. Transcripts of the sittings: 1, 2

Reservations, sections and other votes (48)

In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.

Source: bill page in the Knesset legislation database ↗

Law for Security Service (Amendment No. 21), 2015 · How the Knesset Votes