Likud Says Netanyahu Backs Enlistment for Haredi Men Not Studying Torah

Likud said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports military enlistment for Haredi men who are not studying Torah, responding to criticism of his opposition to arrests of Haredi draft defaulters. The party said men who declare they would rather die than enlist should face imprisonment. It also claimed its plan would enlist 23,000 Haredi men over three years, compared with 5,000 under an opposition proposal. The statement set out the party’s position and projected figures; it did not report completed enlistments or announce a newly enacted law.