A UK court is set to hear the appeal on Monday of a 21-year-old Israeli yeshiva student seeking asylum to avoid conscription in the Israel Defense Forces, according to media reports.
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The man's lawyer, Fahad Ansari, said that the Israeli, a Haredi Jew, claims he will be forced to commit apartheid against Palestinians if he is drafted, as well as face persecution in prison.
"Our client is attempting to prove his case in the context of Israel operating as an apartheid state," Ansari told the Middle East Eye.
"Unfortunately, in any asylum appeal involving Palestinians, whether they be from the West Bank or Gaza, there is never any discussion about the elephant in the room: the apartheid nature of Israel, which is ultimately the source of Palestinian suffering and flight from their land," he said.
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Al Jazeera said he opposes Zionism and Israel's existence, arguing against the Jewish state on political and religious grounds.
Some in the ultra-Orthodox community reject the right of Israel to exist as a state until the messiah returns.
The Israeli, for whom the court issued an anonymity order, fled Israel in 2017 after receiving a draft notice from the IDF.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel rejected his petition in December. The hearing will be held in a Manchester court.
"All asylum cases are carefully considered based on their individual merits," the Home Office told the Middle East Eye after being asked about the case. "As legal action is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further."
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
