The government’s bill regulating ultra-Orthodox conscription is the “exact opposite” of the legislation he proposed on the issue, Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein said this week, shortly before the revised version of the bill was presented to lawmakers.

Edelstein spoke with The Times of Israel on Tuesday in his parliamentary office. He predicted that the bill, which was drafted by fellow Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, would be struck down by the High Court of Justice even if it were passed.

Edelstein was ousted as chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in July after drafting a stricter Haredi conscription bill that angered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.

He was replaced with Bismuth, whose bill, presented Thursday, weakened proposed sanctions and continues to exempt yeshiva students from the draft. Edelstein had harsh words for his successor’s legislation.

“The bill is so terrible that it will be difficult for members of the coalition to really explain to themselves and to Likud voters how come they support it,” Edelstein said in the interview, adding that “what we are witnessing right now and what the coalition is trying to push through is the exact opposite” of the conscription bill he tried to pass.

But he warned that Netanyahu’s coalition is set to exert significant pressure on the few lawmakers from its own ranks who are “strongly opposed” to the controversial legislation.

“No one can tell what will happen when push comes to shove, how people will vote, because I know what pressure they will be under,” Edelstein said. “There will be pressure, there will be promises, there will be threats, there will be career opportunities.”

Some 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged between 18 and 24 are currently believed to be eligible for military service, but have not enlisted. The Israel Defense Forces has said it urgently needs 12,000 recruits due to the strain on standing and reserve forces caused by the war against Hamas in Gaza and other military challenges.

The issue has roiled Netanyahu’s coalition like few others, as ultra-Orthodox leaders have fought to preserve the sweeping exemptions from IDF service the community has........

© The Times of Israel