Liberman offers 2018 conscription draft as basis for new coalition talks

Avigdor Liberman moved to position his 2018 ultra-Orthodox conscription bill as a viable foundation for upcoming government negotiations. On Sunday, the Yisrael Beytenu chairman indicated he was prepared to compromise with religious parties, a shift that opens a path for Gadi Eisenkot, who is preparing to receive the mandate to form a government.

The 2018 framework, developed by the Defense Ministry and the IDF during Liberman’s tenure, targeted institutional funding rather than individual soldiers. It established annual recruitment goals that rose from 3,996 in 2018 to 6,208 by 2025. In contrast, Boaz Bismuth’s 2025 proposal set a target of 8,160 recruits over 18 months, averaging approximately 5,440 per year, with up to 10 percent of that quota potentially filled by civilian service in security fields.

A key distinction lies in the age of exemption. Liberman’s draft set the limit at 24, whereas Bismuth’s legislation raised it to 26. Enforcement mechanisms also diverged sharply. Liberman’s plan imposed financial penalties on yeshivas that missed their targets. If enlistment fell below 85 percent of the annual goal for three consecutive years, the law would expire after a 12-month transition period, effectively ending the special exemption system.

Bismuth’s proposal introduced personal sanctions for individual students, including restrictions on overseas travel and driver’s licenses. These penalties were not always automatic, often depending on whether an enlistment order was issued and then ignored. Some restrictions were subject to age limits or delayed implementation dates. While Bismuth’s framework was stricter on individual consequences, Liberman’s included a more automatic termination clause for the entire exemption arrangement if systemic failures persisted.

Liberman acknowledged that the 2018 figures require adjustment following the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war. He noted that the military’s manpower needs have increased and the ultra-Orthodox population has grown since the bill was first drafted. In a statement on Sunday, he wrote, “It is clear to me that following the events of October 7, the law I proposed in 2018 also requires changes and adjustments, but it still constitutes a suitable basis for reaching agreements.”

He defended his pivot against critics, adding, “Willingness to compromise does not mean abandoning values and principles.” The former defense minister has not yet specified which provisions of his original framework he considers non-negotiable. He also referenced the Shkedi Report and recent coalition legislation as part of the potential compromise package.

The political stakes remain high as Eisenkot faces the challenge of uniting parties with conflicting views on conscription. In 2018, religious parties opposed Liberman’s bill due to its budgetary sanctions and expiration mechanism. With personal sanctions now under consideration in Bismuth’s alternative, Liberman’s earlier framework may offer a more comfortable starting point for negotiations, though some ultra-Orthodox factions continue to resist recruitment targets entirely.