After hours of meetings and consultations, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch notified Chareidi MKs on Wednesday to continue negotiations to advance the new draft law.

As first reported on Tuesday evening, the Degal HaTorah MKs visited HaRav Hirsch at his home seeking his direction on how to proceed with the legislation.

The meeting lasted an hour and 40 minutes as the Rosh Yeshivah reviewed the bill clause by clause and listened carefully to the MKs’ reports about the Attorney General’s demands. At the end of the meeting, HaRav Hirsch said he would notify them of his decision the next morning.

According to information obtained by Kikar HaShabbat, HaRav Hirsch later held consultations with senior legal experts, Roshei Yeshivos for struggling youth, and other Chareidi askanim to fully understand the practical implications of each clause. The Rosh Yeshiva stated, “It must be ensured that not a single ben yeshiva is harmed, and that protection is also extended to Sephardi yeshivos and yeshivos for weaker students.”

A short time ago, HaRav Hirsch’s son informed MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev that the Rosh Yeshiva had ruled it permissible to advance the legislative process.

One of HaRav Hirsch’s beni bayis told Kikar HaShabbat, “The Rosh Yeshiva decided that although there are many issues, it is possible for now to move forward with the law, and the MK will address the problematic clauses during the committee meetings.”

The source added that “the Rosh Yeshivah also consulted this morning with HaGaon HaRav Baruch Dov Povarsky and told him his concerns, but HaRav Povarsky also gave his approval. Later today, HaRav Hirsch is expected to speak about the matter with HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau and HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Begman.”

“The Rosh Yeshiva is also considering convening the full Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in the coming days,” the source added.

Earlier Wednesday, Kikar HaShabbat reported that Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni have been holding talks on possible changes to the bill, hoping to reach a version acceptable to the Knesset’s legal adviser—thereby making it harder for the Supreme Court to block or suspend it.

At the heart of the legal adviser’s demands is a requirement to raise the annual Chareidi draft target in the first year to about 5,700 recruits, roughly 1,000 more than what Chareidi MKs had agreed to.

Additionally, the legal adviser is insisting on retaining a clause introduced under former Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein’s proposal—requiring bnei yeshivos and avreichim to register their attendance via digital fingerprint verification.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)