Lapid prepares to block ultra-Orthodox draft exemption bill

Opposition leader Yair Lapid met with representatives of his Yesh Atid party to discuss strategies to block the passage of the coalition's ultra-Orthodox draft exemption bill.

If approved, the contentious legislation, which has been put forward by Israel's government, would lower the age of exemption from service for Torah students from 26 to 21, and aims to "very slowly" increase conscription among the ultra-Orthodox.

Lapid spoke to his party members ahead of a debate in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the bill, saying that: “I believe that there are decent people in the committee from all factions of the house whose conscience and values ​​will not allow them to pass the law as it is."