According to a survey to be presented during a special broadcast titled "Shoulder to Shoulder" about the conscription exemption bill on Israel Hayom's website Thursday, most Israelis believe draft evaders should face criminal and economic sanctions, with the government bearing primary responsibility for drafting them.
The survey, conducted by Professor Yitzhak Katz and Maagar Mochot Ltd, included 501 participants from Israel's adult population aged 18 and above. When asked whether full mandatory service should apply to all ultra-Orthodox men of draft age, the responses were clear: 57% said yes, 27% said no, and 16% were undecided.
The political breakdown of those supporting universal draft is telling: From the anti-Netanyahu camp, some 80% of Yesh Atid voters, 86% of National Unity Party voters, 94% of Yisrael Beytenu voters, and 93% of Democratic Camp voters support universal conscription for Jews. Among Likud voters, 49% believe all ultra-Orthodox men should be drafted at service age, while support drops to 39% among Religious Zionism voters and 31% among Otzma Yehudit voters. As expected, more than 90% of the Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism voters opposed mandatory service for all ultra-Orthodox men of draft age.
When asked who bears responsibility for drafting yeshiva students into the IDF, 59% of respondents said it falls on the government, 18% said it's the military's responsibility, 5% attributed it to the Supreme Court, and 18% were unsure.
The poll also addressed sanctions against draft evaders. A majority of the public – 65% of the total sample, representing 77% of those who expressed an opinion – supports imposing sanctions: 35% favor both criminal and economic sanctions, 19% support only economic sanctions, and 11% advocate for criminal penalties alone. Twenty percent of respondents opposed any sanctions.
Among Shas and United Torah Judaism voters, more than 90% opposed mandatory military service requirements.
