Defense Minister to decide on criminal action for haredi draft dodgers

The ministerial committee for determining procedures for the conscription of ultra-religious (haredi) yeshiva seminarists to the armed forces settled a major controversy Wednesday. Defense minister Moshe Ya’alon won a year’s extension from three to four years for the interim period for applying criminal sanctions against haredi youths who fail to report for military duty.  The authority to apply those sanctions was vested in the defense minister.
Compulsory conscription for that community will be introduced gradually over a five-year period.