Smotrich Unveils ‘New Social Contract’ Including Lowering Chareidi Draft Exemption To Age 21 To Promote ‘Economic Integration’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The draft law is due to be submitted to the Knesset in the summer session and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich is responsible for promoting a new version of the law which will balance the requirements of the chareidim and the need to integrate them into the workforce, according to a Yisrael Hayom report.

The government realizes that the chareidi parties will not support the budget if the draft issue is not solved prior to the passing of the budget, as defined in the coalition agreements.

Smotrich believes that Israel has been trying unsuccessfully for years to conscript chareidim and it is therefore preferable to initiate a deal which he terms “the new social contract.”

The new contract seeks to achieve a more equal economic burden by decreasing the exemption age to 21 and encouraging chareidim to join the workforce earlier. Such a move could lead to greater work productivity and contribution to the economy.

At the same time Smotrich hopes to abbreviate military service in an attempt to mitigate the inequality of the military burden, as well as providing new incentives for combat soldiers which he hopes would lead to more chareidi draftees. The new budget would enable integration of chareidim in the workforce by opening branches of technology colleges, as well as refresher courses and English, math and computer studies in informal settings for the chareidi community.

Smotrich will encourage longer service in the army by offering higher salaries as well as incentives for combat soldiers including full funding of academic studies and assistance in winning tenders and contracts.

Currently UTJ agree to reducing the exemption age to 21 while Shas are concerned that this will lead to more students leaving the yeshivos to look for work prior to their marriage. However they are willing to compromise if the law will pass the Supreme Court and be supported by the Defense Ministry.

The proposed plan must still pass a number of obstacles, as Defense Minister Gallant prefers the age of exemption to be 23 and the Finance Minister believes this would not significantly add to the workforce chareidim who could provide economic equality by raising workforce productivity.

Other opponents to the plan claim that it does not bring equality of burden but instead a blanket exemption to an entire sector and one cannot “buy” an exemption by providing incentives to soldiers who are endangering their lives for the country.