Likud's Dan Illouz digs in on haredi draft, defying Netanyahu

Likud MK Dan Illouz repeated that he would not support government initiatives to incentivize the haredim (ultra-Orthodox) not to enlist in the IDF, defying pressure to the contrary by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.“I immigrated to Israel from Canada out of deep Zionism,” Illouz wrote on X/Twitter.

“I left family, friends, and a guaranteed career after graduating from law school at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. While my friends wore suits and joined the largest law firms, I put on a uniform and enlisted in the IDF. That sense of mission brought me to Israeli politics.

“I am prepared to sacrifice everything that is required for the sake of the State of Israel and its security. I will always be matter-of-fact, professional, and focused on the goal – and nothing will divert me from the path,” he wrote.

The post came after Netanyahu summoned Illouz and criticized him for voicing his opposition to a new initiative by the government to overcome a major financial sanction against military-age haredi men who have not reported for IDF service.

A new government initiative

The initiative is to pass a bill that will enable haredi yeshiva students to continue receiving government subsidies for their children’s daycare. According to the attorney-general, the subsidies are currently illegal since they incentivize haredim to remain in yeshiva, in violation of the law that requires them to report for service.

Illouz has also voiced his opposition, alongside other Likud MKs such as Moshe Saada, to a bill that would limit the number of haredim required to enlist and exempt thousands of others.