The following exchange that took place between Aryeh Deri and Rav Amsalem's people is enlightening and entertaining.

As Srugim reports, Aryeh Deri went on the radio criticizing Rav Chaim Amsalem for his plan about drafting the yeshiva students. Deri said that all the MKs of Shas served full service in the army, and some are handicapped form it, except for himself and Arial Attias who both served shortened services as jobniks. the only SHAS MK who did not serve at all was Rav Amsalem, who had been a Shas MK until recently.

The head of Am Shalem's campaign called in to respond and said that the reason Rav Amsalem did not serve in the army is because he was actually learning in yeshiva, he was considered an iluy, a prodigy of sorts, to which, he says, Rav Ovadia Yosef can testify, and in Rav Amsalem's plan he says yeshiva students should all do army service except for those considered to be iluyim. On the other hand, he continued, Deri sat in jail after the courts declared him a criminal, and now is trying to badmouth Rav Amsalem. Rav Amsalem learned torah and did not sit in jail.

I love it, though it does leave a bad taste...