High Court strikes down law shielding haredi yeshiva students from arrest over draft evasion

On Thursday, the High Court of Justice unanimously ruled against an amendment that had previously frozen arrest, investigation, and enforcement proceedings against Haredi yeshiva students who failed to report for mandatory military service. All nine justices, including Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg and eight other judges, delivered the decision.

The coalition had passed the amendment on July 14, 2026, suspending all enforcement proceedings against members of the Haredi community required to enlist but not compliant with their duty to report for service under the Defense Service Law. Five petitions challenged the amendment's validity. Justice Sohlberg, who penned the main opinion, determined that the amendment substantially deviated from the original bill's subject, violating Section 85 of the Knesset Rules of Procedure.

Consequently, the court declared that, in reality, the law had never passed its initial reading, implying a fundamental procedural flaw necessitating its dismissal.