Boaz Bismuth

Netanyahu, Bismuth to advance controversial haredi draft bill amid IDF manpower shortage

At the start of Operation Roaring Lion, Netanyahu announced that the draft bill would be “set aside” for the sake of national unity and would not be advanced during wartime.

Ultra orthodox Jewish reserve soldiers of the IDF's Hasmonean Brigade operate in the Gaza Strip on June 26, 2025.
 Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, central Israel, April 28, 2025

As political pressure mounts, Netanyahu delays controversial haredi draft law - opinion

 Likud MK Boaz Bismuth leads a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, January 27, 2026

Israel knows ‘exactly’ how to end Hezbollah threat, weaken Iran, Bismuth tells 'Post' - interview

MK BOAZ Bismuth leads a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, January 27, 2026.

Knesset FADC to convene confidential operational update on Operation Rising Lion


Netanyahu cancels statement on haredi draft bill as opposition slams legislation

Opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) responded that Netanyahu canceled his statement “because he knows we know the details of the draft-evasion law, and he has no way to defend it.”

Ultra-Orthodox Jews carry a banner in Hebrew that reads, “to prison and not the army,” during a “million man” protest against military conscription, in Jerusalem October 30, 2025.

Bismuth's haredi draft bill advances in heated Knesset panel, lawmakers call it 'not nearly enough'

The continued discussions on the bill come after the chairperson of the committee, MK Boaz Bismuth (Likud), laid out his updated version of the legislation to the panel on Monday. 

Protests against haredi draft begins in Jerusalem, October 30, 2025.

Over 60 local leaders push Netanyahu to halt haredi draft bill, warn of social rift

“The IDF needs, more than ever, additional soldiers to carry the heavy burden of defending the state,” the letter said, arguing that mandatory service reflects Israel’s “shared destiny.”

A Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, December 1, 2025.

Aliyah Minister Sofer vows to vote against haredi draft bill, 'even if Netanyahu fires me'

RZP's Ofir Sofer to oppose draft legislation, defying faction head Bezalel Smotrich • Bismuth brings new haredi draft bill outline to Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee

Aliyah and Integration Minister Minister Ofir Sofer holds a press conference at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, December 1, 2025

Bismuth’s haredi draft bill won’t change enlistment, IDI expert tells 'Post'

An Israel Democracy Institute expert warns that MK Boaz Bismuth’s haredi draft offers no real enforcement and will not improve enlistment rates.

 MK Boaz Bismuth leads the lobby for releasing the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, January 9, 2024.

Israel must stop pretending there is a workable haredi draft fix - opinion

Despite October 7, despite the near-existential threat situation Israel finds itself in across seven fronts, haredi leaders remain adamant that “yeshiva boys” cannot be drafted in any minimal way.

‘THE PHONY draft law about to be introduced by the new chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, Boaz Bismuth, certainly won’t do the job,’ the writer argues.

Ex-NSC chief Tzachi Hanegbi slams haredi draft bill, warns it endangers Israel’s future

"The IDF needs an additional thousand fighters," he continued. "The proposed law, as is, does not advance this goal; it enables dodging, and endangers the future of the state."

 Former National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi seen at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, July 14, 2025

New haredi draft bill grants 'amnesty' for haredim called-up since 2023 - explainer

The new haredi draft bill softens personal sanctions, allowing draft evaders to regularize their status around age 26. This flexibility draws sharp criticism from the opposition.

Haredi soldier

Bismuth advances updated ultra-Orthodox IDF draft bill as Knesset prepares for decisive debates

The revised bill is described by its drafters as a “balanced” response - but its core architecture offers the haredi sector a wide window of relief.

Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, leads a meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 10, 2025

Liberman slams haredi draft-dodger extremists, ultra-Orthodox parties condemn violence

UTJ and Shas denounce violent haredi extremists as tensions rise over a contentious IDF draft bill, prompting political backlash and stalled legislation.

Yisrael Beytenu chairperson Avigdor Liberman denounces the haredi extremists during a Knesset faction press conference, November 17, 2025.