Attorney-general urges High Court to further restrict haredi draft evaders' benefits as enlistment

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has urged the High Court of Justice to consider further restrictions on financial benefits for individuals who do not fulfill their military service obligations. As of September 8, 110,330 people were classified as draft evaders or ordered to enlist despite not completing preliminary procedures, with the majority being ultra-Orthodox (haredi) Jews.

The filing highlights delays in granting property-tax discounts, public transport concessions, and other subsidies to draft evaders, arguing that more court intervention is needed since ministers have not utilized the powers at their disposal.

The government has yet to adopt an enforcement policy formulated by the court in November 2025, despite a deadline of January 4. The state requests the court to consider additional instructions allowing ministries to condition benefits on compliance with military recruitment requirements through administrative decisions, rather than waiting for new laws.

These measures include tax, transport, and education benefits, which are seen as incentives for enlistment rather than criminal penalties. The eligibility of groups not currently called for military service should remain unaffected.

However, the implementation of these benefits restrictions has faced criticism. The Education Ministry has sought to postpone changes to after-school and holiday programs until the next school year, citing practical difficulties. Additionally, there have been disputes over the cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Police.

While the IDF argues that maintaining public order falls under police responsibility, the police claim that soldiers are required to carry out arrests instead of handling disturbances. This has resulted in compromised enforcement operations between July 1 and October 12, despite some individual arrests and border crossing checks.