Netanyahu, Smotrich announce freeze on bill exempting Haredim from military service

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday evening that the government would suspend efforts to advance a bill exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service for now, citing the demands and financial pressures of the war. In a joint video statement, Netanyahu and Smotrich said they had decided to “set the law aside at this stage” as the government prepares to approve a major increase in the defence budget, including the transfer of tens of billions of shekels to the military. Netanyahu said the war required directing large financial resources to defence spending. “There was no doubt that we had to go out to this battle,” he said, adding: “But war costs money, a lot […]