A joint Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and Constitution, Law and Justice Committee team approved on Tuesday amendments to the bill seeking to impose tougher measure against women who falsely use religion as an excuse to avoid military service.

The legislation hopes to stop false exemptions thus significantly increasing the number of women serving in the IDF.

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Today, even if a woman is found to be lying about her religious lifestyle, the army cannot revoke an exemption that was already given. According to the bill, a woman who declares herself to be religious must be able to prove that she has maintained a religious lifestyle for at least two years.

MK Moshe Gafni ( United Torah Judaism ) fiercely opposed the bill: "I fear the new bill will force religious women to join the army."

MK Miri Regev Likud ), one of the main supporters of the bill said: "The bill is important since there are women who jump on the religious bandwagon. There is no doubt that the law will deter women who aren't religious from lying."

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