Opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Liberman has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging Israel towards “civil war” in order to remain in power.
Writing on X on Thursday, Liberman said: “The government (of Benjamin Netanyahu) is dragging the State of Israel into a civil war – just to cling to power for a few more days.”
The former Israeli defence minister shared a photo showing a police officer surrounded by a large crowd of Haredi Jews who protested on Wednesday against military conscription. The officer appeared to be pleading with the crowd to leave him alone.
“The sights we saw yesterday are a national disgrace,” Liberman said. A police officer begging for his life in front of a rioting mob is a direct result of the evasive government, which provides backing to evaders and erodes the rule of law,”
The Haredi community makes up around 13 per cent of Israel’s population of more than 10 million. Many Haredi Jews insist on exemption from compulsory military service so they can devote themselves to studying the Torah.
In June 2024, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that Haredi men must be subject to military conscription and ordered an end to state funding for religious institutions whose students refuse to enlist.
