The state to the High Court: working on a plan to recruit ultra-Orthodox in the immediate term; the ombudsman opposes separate representation

This morning (Wednesday), the state published its response to the High Court regarding the recruitment law, according to which it is working to immediately recruit members of the ultra-orthodox public in a staggered process. The state submitted its response on behalf of the security establishment, and asked to expand on this to the court within a few weeks.

According to the security establishment, the initial meetings on the issue began already in July, with the expiration of the previous government’s decision on the issue, and that the work of the headquarters to promote the recruitment of Yeshiva members began last December, before the High Court ordered the recruitment of Yeshiva members and before the budgeting for Yeshiva was denied. However, It is clarified in the security establishment that the formulation of the plans within the work of the headquarters continues even these days, but they emphasize that their goal is to recruit ultra-orthedim in the immediate time frame.

Defense Minister Yoav Galant held several meetings with the “relevant parties in the matter”, according to the state announcement, with the aim of promoting a law with broad consensus. Apparently these are the representatives of the ultra-Orthodox factions and influential rabbis in the ultra-orthodox public.

The security establishment announced that the work on the initial goal is expected to be completed within a few weeks, and that its goal is to bring about a solution to the issue of the recruitment of Yeshiva members in the short, medium and long term. It should be noted that the ultra-orthodox factions have not had a specific public reference to the issue of the law or the outline in recent weeks.

The ombudsman against the government secretary: a continuation of the legal reform that weakens legal advice

The Deputy Legal Advisor to the Government, Gil Limon, sent a letter today (Wednesday) to Prime Minister Yossi Fox, in which he also brought the position of the ombudsman, which refers to the request for separate legal representation for the government ministries involved in the legal process of the recruitment issue (Ministry of Defense, IDF and the Ministry of Education).

Lemon clarified that the government ministries involved do not have permission for separate legal advice, and that the permission for separate representation was only given to the government for the “interim period” from the date the law expired on last April 1, until the High Court’s answer on the matter. Lemon accused the government of trying to subjugate the positions of the ministries involved in its position, which works not to recruit ultra-Orthodox, even though, as mentioned, the Ministry of Defense has shifted its position, according to which it works to recruit ultra-Orthodox.

Lemon accused Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fox of putting the issue of separate representation on the agenda a few minutes before the government meeting, without the legal counsel to the government having time to clarify to its members that this separate representation is against the law. Lemon added that this method of operation “due to the continuation of the attempt, which is part of what was called the ‘legal reform’, to weaken the status of legal advice to the government, bypass it and harm its ability to protect the public interest and the rule of law.”