The Shaked Bill is really two bills in one.
Both of the bills are very long, here is a quick summary of major points.
The National Service Bill
Three different types of National Service:
Civilian-Security-Service (police, prison service, firefighting, protecting witnesses, green & beach police, magen david adom/ambulances, zaka, hatzala, other lifesaving organizations). 36 hours a week for two years.
Civilian-Social-Service (health, welfare, education, environment, absorbing immigration, assisting senior citizens, road safety, government hasbara, national archives work, overseas government work). Choice between 20 hours a week for three years or 30 hours a week for two years, either way it will be a 5-day work-week. 20 paid vacation days a year and 20 paid sick days a year.
Civilian-National Service (the type that we are familiar with today).
Amendment to the Security Service Bill
Everyone:
* Men service goes down from 36 to 32 months (2 years 8 months).
* Learning Torah will be recognized as a service to the State of Israel.
Religious-Zionists:
- Hesder track will now serve a minimum of 17 months (1 year 5 months)
- Shiluv, Mechina and other program track adjustments and additions.
- Non-Hesder/Shiluv/Mechina Zionist Yeshiva deferments until age 23 or 26, depending on criteria.
- Zionist Yeshiva students required to learn Torah 40-45 hours a week depending on criteria and not allowed to work.
- Criteria to be included in law.
- Reports Zionist Yeshivas must submit to government.
Haredim:
- Becomes law on March 20 2014.
- Adjustment period for Haredim ends July 1st 2017.
- Defense Minister can allow each Haredi in age brackets 18-21 to defer their army service for up to 12 months each year.
- Defense Minister can grant each Haredi at age 22 a two-year deferment until age 24 or two one-year deferments depending on criteria.
- Defense Minister can allow each Haredi aged 24 and older to enter workforce.
- After age 21 the various national service tracks can be opened up depending on criteria.
- Haredim aged 24 and older can enter employment tracks.
- Haredim can receive up to 15 hours of employment training a week.
- A lot of executive power and room given to Minister of the Economy to integrate Haredim into workforce.
- Defense Minister can release 26 year old Haredim from service if the Haredim meet their target goals after the five year adjustment period.
- Even if Haredim don’t meet target goals, Haredim under 21 will be able to defer service until 21.
- Each year 1,800 additional Haredim will be exempt from serving in military or national service.
- Yeshiva students required to learn Torah 40-45 hours a week depending on criteria and not allowed to work.
- Haredi Yeshiva students aged 22 and older who are married are allowed to work but still must put in the 40-45 hours learning.
- Criteria for who is on list of Haredi Yeshiviot.
- Government reports to Knesset on implementation of the law.
- Criteria for hiring supervisors for this law.
- There will be target numbers for military, and different target numbers for national
- Bottom Line: The bill really gives the Defense Minister a lot of power on how it will be implemented.
It reads like a dream for the chareidim. Will the High Court allow this to stand?
Good question, but at leas it is clear that the hareidim has nothing to complain about; instead they should thank Bennett for trying to help them into the society and really giving them a choice to go to the army or many other alternative services.
Will be interesting to see how much praise Lapid now will get when everybody sees that this is not the “equal burden sharing” that he promised.
I’m glad you feel that way. I doubt they do.
Reading this carefully, it seems that this is a dream for the big parties to squeeze the Chareidi parties, even more so than they do now with educational funding, and the fact that Chareidi parties have to deal twice for everything, once before the court invalidates the agreement, and one afterwards. Perhaps this is how Lapid will achieve his dream of destroying Shas? “Latitude for the army” translates into latitude for the politicians.
BTW, how will they define Chareidim for the purposes of the quota? Will they have Chareidi-sniffing dogs or something? What about Chareidim is Hesder, such as in Shalavim?
Oh, and where do the Arabs come in?
The National Service Bill looks strong enough to stand in my opinion.
The Amendment to Security Service Bill deals with a lot of the issues that came up in the Supreme Court ruling that vetoed the Tal Law. It is possible that certain aspects will be repealed but a majority of it will stand either way in my opinion.
This is possibly the most important post ever.
For years people have been screaming about this, and only note we see what all the ruckus is about.
Kol hakavod!
Thanks Gidon. Feel free to share and spread the word.
WOW!!!! Great work! NO ONE and I repeat, not one of the hysterical chareidim even read the bill! This is one of the most generous adjustments for a lifestyle and it is incomprehensible to see why the chareidim oppose this bill so vociferiously-until you realize that this is all about control- control of their flock with all the money and jobs that come with it. The Torah excuse is just a fig leaf!
I heard the Shaked Law requires only ‘5200’ Chareidim to participate. Is this correct? Can you give some more info on the numbers involved in this bill. Thx