BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that he was willing to agree to individual sanctions on draft-dodgers, in what could lead to a potential breakthrough in the controversy over the writing of a new universal draft law in Israel.

“I am willing to agree to individual sanctions that would be imposed on draft-dodgers, and not just on institutions,” Netanyahu said at a meeting with coalition faction leaders yesterday. He did not elaborate on the nature of the sanctions.

Earlier yesterday, the Prime Minister met with Kadima Chairman and vice premier Shaul Mofaz, but according to Kadima members no progress was made. “Everyone is confused by Mofaz’ behavior, and it’s unclear whether one meeting is enough to understand where this is heading,” a source close to the negotiations told Ynet. “Mofaz allowed Plesner to push everyone into a corner, and now we must deal with this entanglement,” the source added.

According to top Kadima officials, cited in the Israeli media, Mofaz reiterated his positions in his meeting with Netanyahu and made it clear he intends to stick to them. Nevertheless, the two leaders agreed to continue the talks.

Earlier still yesterday, Netanyahu met with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The latter said that his party, Yisrael Beiteinu, could not support the Plesner Committee recommendations due to the fact that they fail to address civilian service of Israeli Arabs.

The Plesner committee was established by Netanyahu earlier in the year, and was tasked with drafting an alternative to the Tal Law, which exempted ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from army service.