Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett on Monday night delivered a televised statement laying out what he described as a comprehensive solution to Israel’s draft crisis, once again focusing his political message squarely on the chareidi sector while declaring his intention to form the next government.

Speaking at a press conference broadcast live, Bennett — who is seeking a return to politics under the banner of a new framework dubbed “Bennett 2026” — said that his first move upon returning to the Prime Minister’s Office would be to repeal what he called the current government’s “draft evasion law.”

Bennett said he intends to replace it with legislation he is calling the “Law of Those Who Serve,” presenting it as the cornerstone of his next coalition. “From today, those who serve will be at the top of the pyramid and those who evade will be at the bottom,” Bennett said, adding that support for the bill would be a prerequisite for joining a government under his leadership. “Support for the Law of Those Who Serve is the first condition for entering a government I head. This is the flagship law of the next government.”

In his remarks, Bennett accused the current leadership of creating a moral and social injustice. “The people of Israel are witnessing a terrible injustice,” he said. “With one hand, the government issues 280,000 reserve duty call-up orders, shattering families and careers, and with the other hand it transfers tens of billions of shekels to healthy young men who choose to evade service in the IDF.”

“There is no greater chillul Hashem than this,” Bennett continued. “They talk about a yellow badge?! We enlist so that we have a strong IDF, in a strong Jewish state, so that no Jew will ever again wear a yellow badge.”

Bennett said his proposed law would fundamentally reverse Israel’s social and economic priorities. “Tonight I announce: the Israeli pyramid is being turned upside down,” he said. “I present to you the law that will shape the State of Israel for decades to come: the Law of Those Who Serve. The answer to this government’s disgraceful draft evasion law is the Law of Those Who Serve. From today — those who serve at the top, and those who choose to evade — at the bottom.”

Detailing the plan, Bennett said his proposal would divert 25 billion shekels currently allocated to what he described as draft evaders and coalition funds and transfer the entire sum to those who serve. He outlined a three-tier system.

At the top, Bennett placed active reserve soldiers. “Every active reservist will receive a grant of one million shekels toward a first home,” he said. He added that reservists would receive free daycare from birth to age three for all children, as well as a permanent 50 percent discount on electricity, water, and municipal taxes as long as they continue reserve service. “These aren’t perks,” Bennett said. “It’s a game-changer that changes your life. You fight for the home — you’ll get a home.”

The second tier, according to Bennett, would include those who completed full mandatory service. He said they would be entitled to “a massive boost at the start of life,” including a free undergraduate degree for all veterans, not only combat soldiers, a free master’s degree for combat troops, five years of free public transportation after discharge, and a monthly subsidy of 1,000 shekels per child for daycare from birth to age three.

“At the third, bottom level,” Bennett said, “those who choose not to serve simply do not receive.” He argued that this structure would “turn the pyramid in Israel.”

Bennett insisted the funding already exists. “This money exists,” he said. “I built the Law of Those Who Serve with people who were in the Budget Division and the Housing Ministry, and they know exactly where these billions are right now. The Law of Those Who Serve moves those billions to the right place — to you.”

He claimed the move would unlock major economic growth. “Our move will free up more than 100 billion shekels in economic output that is currently being burned because of the draft evasion mechanism,” Bennett said. “We are reshaping the state.”

Responding to comparisons between current policies and frameworks proposed during his own previous tenure, Bennett said critics were ignoring the impact of the October 7 massacre. “Anyone who compares the draft evasion law to the framework under a government I led ‘forgets’ one thing: the massacre of October 7,” he said. “But the people of Israel do not forget, and will not forget.”

Bennett concluded by arguing that his plan would transform Israeli society and even draw chareidi youth into military service. “The Law of Those Who Serve will change the structure of the Israeli economy for generations, and will save the economy and the serving public from inevitable collapse,” he said. “And you’ll see how this law brings masses of young chareidim to join us in the IDF. We have one home — we will defend it together.”

Jooish News

Jooish News