The Likud party published a strongly worded clarification on Tuesday following the controversy set off by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks about arrests of haredi yeshiva students who evade the IDF draft.
After the heads of the opposition parties accused Netanyahu of encouraging draft evasion, the Likud rejected the claims. It stressed that the Prime Minister supports the conscription of haredim who do not study Torah and even punitive measures against those who refuse to enlist.
"Another fake news controversy," the Likud statement read. "Prime Minister Netanyahu has said the entire time, and said this directly to the haredi community during the interview: haredim must enlist. Whoever doesn't study Torah will go to the military, and whoever says, 'We'll die and not enlist,' will go to jail."
The clarification follows remarks made by Netanyahu earlier in the day on the haredi Radio Kol Barama against the recent wave of draft evader arrests. "This is not acceptable. We must preserve the Torah world because it preserved us. These arrests are an intentional attempt to harm the process of enlisting haredim without coercion. I very much respect the Torah world, but whoever doesn't learn should enlist."
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of advancing a political deal aimed at securing the support of the Haredi parties. "Netanyahu revealed his deal with Deri and Goldknopf this morning: exemption from IDF service in exchange for a government," Lapid claimed.
Together Party Chairman Naftali Bennett joined the criticism, saying: "The Bibi-Deri deal has been exposed, and now it's official: draft evasion in exchange for power."
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman also criticized the Prime Minister. "Bibi is making an impassioned appeal against the arrest of draft dodgers, proving once again that he is a hostage to those evading military service," he said.