It’s rare for politicians in Israel to break the party line and speak out, but the cracks have been brewing in this coalition for a long time. Tensions have flared between party leaders and ministers, with clashes between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant frequently making headlines.
But while outrage may have been simmering over the issue of ultra-Orthodox (haredi) Israelis not drafting into the IDF and efforts by the government to keep the status quo chugging along, it wasn’t Gallant or other senior lawmakers who spoke out in what may be the most meaningful way thus far.
No, it was Dan Illouz, a Likud backbencher who is still in the middle of his first term in the Knesset.
The 38-year-old French-Canadian oleh (immigrant) has long been transparent about his political views; in fact, he wrote about them for over a decade in his Jerusalem Post column. Considering his support for a free market economy, easing the gun license approval process, judicial reform, and Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, as well as his opposition to UNRWA, it’s no wonder he found a natural home in Likud.
Nevertheless, he was willing to break ranks in response to another government initiative that would incentivize haredim to continue studying in a yeshiva rather than drafting into the IDF.
The haredi draft issue has long been an incredibly conscientious topic in Israel, and the current government-backed initiative is to pass a bill that would enable haredi yeshiva students to continue receiving government subsidies for their children’s daycare.
According to Israel’s attorney-general, the subsidies are currently illegal because they encourage haredim to remain in yeshiva in violation of the law that requires them to report for service.
There is also a proposed bill that would put a cap on the number of haredim drafted, which wouldn’t apply to other Israelis.
Israelis angry about unequal burden of IDF service
For years, many Israelis were angry about this perceived unequal sharing of the burden of IDF service, but the resentment grew into outright fury since October 7, 2023, when IDF service became more important than ever and the sheer number of reservists being sent to fight in Gaza and Lebanon made the absence of haredim in the army all the more apparent.
Days ago, Illouz made his feelings clear to the public.
“Exempting such a large group of people from their obligation to serve in the IDF at such a critical time is anti-Zionist,” he wrote on X/Twitter, further calling for personal economic sanctions against haredim refusing to draft.
According to Jerusalem Post political correspondent Eliav Breuer, Netanyahu later summoned Illouz and criticized him for voicing his opposition to the initiative. Yet Illouz refused to remain silent, taking to X again.
“I immigrated to Israel from Canada out of a deep sense of Zionism. I left my family, friends, and a guaranteed career after graduating from law school at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. While my friends put on suits and joined the largest law firms, I put on a uniform and enlisted in the IDF,” he wrote. “I am right to sacrifice everything that is required for the sake of the State of Israel and its security. I will always be matter-of-fact, professional, and focused on the goal – and nothing will divert me from the path.”
Illouz is not alone in voicing these sentiments. While some sitting members of Knesset, such as Yuli Edelstein, have also expressed opposition to the government initiative, the most vocal opponent within Likud other than Illouz has been MK Moshe Saada, a fellow backbencher. Many Israelis have begun referring to them on social media as the Likud rebels, and we see this as an apt nickname.
It takes a lot of courage to break from party ranks and stand up for what you believe in. Whether or not one agrees with Illouz and Saada on their positions, the fact that these two rookie MKs are speaking out against something as scornworthy as this government initiative instead of keeping their heads down and towing the line like so many others is something to be commended.