Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett Claims Draft Evasion Is Killing Soldiers in Call for Budget Cuts

Ex-PM Naftali Bennett tells Kan radio that Haredi draft evasion costs lives and vows to defund yeshivas to force military enlistment if elected in 2026.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 20, 2026, 3:16 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

The Moral and Operational Cost of Conscription Exemptions

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett utilized a high, profile interview with Kan radio on April 20, 2026, to intensify his rhetoric against the current government’s handling of military enlistment. Bennett stated that the continued evasion of the draft by the ultra, Orthodox (Haredi) community is "killing our soldiers," a phrase he defended as a reflection of the physical and psychological toll on active reservists. He argued that the manpower shortage is no longer a theoretical debate but a direct threat to the country’s defense capabilities, specifically citing the exhaustion of those who have been serving multiple rotations since the onset of the conflict.

Proposal to Defund Yeshivas for Non, Compliant Students

During the broadcast, Bennett outlined a specific fiscal strategy to address the recruitment deficit, suggesting that the most effective way to enforce enlistment is through the wallet. He proposed a total cessation of financial transfers to any educational institutions or individuals who do not comply with military service requirements. According to Bennett, the persistence of the current exemption system is fueled by the continuous flow of state budgets managed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners, Aryeh Deri and Yitzhak Goldknopf. This financial lifeline, Bennett claimed, is the primary obstacle to integrating the Haredi population into the national defense framework.

Quantifying the Potential Haredi Manpower Pool

The former prime minister cited a figure of 100,000 "healthy Haredim" of draft age who are currently excused from service to pursue religious studies. Bennett asserted that even a partial recruitment of this demographic, perhaps as few as 20,000 individuals, would fundamentally solve the IDF’s current personnel crisis. By targeting the funding of yeshivas, Bennett believes the government can dismantle the infrastructure of evasion. His comments highlight the growing frustration among the "serving and working public" who bear the brunt of the national security burden while seeing significant tax revenue diverted to communities that abstain from military duty.