The Supreme Court, acting in its capacity as the High Court of Justice, unanimously ordered the state Wednesday to produce an effective policy within 45 days, including economic sanctions to crack down on Haredi draft-dodging. This ruling came after the Degel HaTorah party decided Wednesday morning to give a green light to voting for a new bill aimed at introducing new mandatory service for Haredi men.
The Supreme Court determined that the state must move quickly to devise effective enforcement protocols for Ultra-Orthodox draft evaders. Although the new bill currently being deliberated at the Knesset aims to do that, the court has yet to weigh in on whether it meets that requirement. The plan must incorporate significant steps that involve criminal prosecution, as well as broad complementary actions in the economic and civil spheres.
"The state is not authorized to refrain from drafting yeshiva students, without a legislative arrangement that allows distinguishing between them and the rest of those obligated to draft," the ruling stated. The court stressed that the government must cease granting economic benefits to evaders, stating, "As a rule, the continued granting of benefits given in direct or indirect connection to evasion of the draft duty cannot be allowed, for example those granted to a yeshiva student as such, when his presence in the yeshiva implies evasion of the draft duty." They noted that the inequality between the general public's mandatory military sevice and the de facto blanket exemption ejoyed by Haredim, was discriminatory. "This is all the more painful since Oct. 7," they wrote.
A senior official in Agudat Yisrael responded to the court decision and said, "Pass a law regulating the status of yeshiva students immediately." Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer told Army Radio, "The State of Israel needs soldiers and fighters, we need deeds and not wasting time. We will not agree to any unworthy law. It is expected to see practical actions like filling the Hashmonayim Brigade before advancing a law."
