An annual quota of approximately 7,000 Haredim would be paid while learning in yeshiva for three years before serving in the IDF or doing national service, under a plan by Industry and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party.
He also proposed that 1,800 of them would be exempt from service and would continue to be paid to learn Torah.
Speaking at the annual Ramle Conference, Bennett urged Haredim to join the work force but to choose occupations that can produce an income instead of looking for highly-paid but highly competitive jobs, such as lawyers and accountants.
He added that, the State of Israel for the first time recognizes the value and importance of Torah study.
Bennett urged employers to hire Arab and Haredim women and said they represent an untapped potential in the work force.
Bennett’s plan differs from that of Yesh Atid chairman and Finance Ministry Yair Lapid, who wants to defer Haredim from national service until 2017, followed by enlistment in the IDF or national service.