Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel resigned from her post, protesting the adoption of the law in the Israeli Parliament that would freeze the detention of Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) who evade military service.
According to the news of Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Haskel, a member of parliament from the Likud Party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced his resignation after the Israeli Parliament passed the law stopping the detention of Haredim evading military service.
Haskel voted against the bill along with Likud MPs Yuli Edelstein and Dan Illouz in today's vote.
The Israeli Parliament accepted the bill in the second and third votes and brought it into force.
According to Israel's Israel Hayom newspaper, the law was accepted with 58 MPs voting in favor and 54 MPs voting against it in the 120-seat parliament, while Prime Minister Netanyahu did not participate in the voting.
Israel's Channel 7 television announced that Yisrael Beiteinu and Yesh Atid parties appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court against the law.
No official statement has yet been made by Haskel or the Israeli government regarding his resignation.
According to The Times of Israel news website, the law effectively freezes the recruitment of Haredim who reach military age for at least six months after it comes into force.
The regulation also suspends criminal proceedings against them on the grounds that they are currently evading military service, and removes financial sanctions that may be imposed on administrators and employees of religious educational institutions if they make false statements regarding the exemption of their students from detention.
On July 13, the Israeli Parliament finally adopted the "Basic Law on Torah Education", which grants special legal status to students studying in religious educational institutions (Yeshiva).
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the law in question could strengthen the position of the Haredim before the Supreme Court and pave the way for a new regulation that will provide exemption from military service in the future.
Haredim, who make up approximately 13 percent of Israel's population, oppose compulsory military service on the grounds of Torah education.
In June 2024, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that Haredim would perform compulsory military service and that state support would be cut off to religious institutions where students who refused military service were educated.