{
  "id": 2150822,
  "title": "A-G calls for renewed arrests of haredi draft dodgers, says enforcement gap hurts IDF enlistment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/a-g-calls-for-renewed-arrests-of-haredi-draft-dodgers-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T14:26:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-906123"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has advocated for increased arrests and economic sanctions against individuals who avoid compulsory military service in Israel, emphasizing that inadequate enforcement of the draft is hindering the recruitment process and creating unequal treatment for the rest of the population. The Attorney-General's Office presented its findings on Tuesday, summarizing a meeting chaired by Baharav-Miara on August 3, which discussed the enforcement of the draft obligation during the 2025 draft year, which spanned from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The meeting included representatives from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Defense Ministry, Finance Ministry, Justice Ministry, Israel Police, Population and Immigration Authority, and other relevant government bodies.\n\nMilitary officials indicated that the gap in arrests is primarily due to the timing of detainments and the subsequent initiation of criminal proceedings. Fewer arrests often lead to fewer prosecutions, which in turn hampers effective draft enforcement and reduces the pool of potential recruits. The Attorney-General concluded that the present level of criminal enforcement is insufficient to meet the state's requirements.\n\nDespite this, the review revealed a significant increase in haredi enlistment over the past year. During the 2025 draft year, 4,298 haredi men enlisted, compared to 2,811 the previous year, marking an increase of approximately 53%. The factors contributing to this rise include issuing draft orders to the entire eligible haredi population, stronger economic enforcement, criminal enforcement, including arrests, and the expansion of military tracks tailored for haredi recruits.\n\nThe officials believe that a combination of enforcement measures and suitable service options has been successful, suggesting that reducing enforcement would weaken both recruitment efforts and deterrence. This conclusion was made as the government argued precisely the opposite in relation to arrests. In July, the Knesset approved a temporary law suspending arrest, investigation, and prosecution proceedings against certain haredi yeshiva students who fail to report for military service. However, the High Court subsequently froze the law and recently issued a final ruling, maintaining the freeze.\n\nThe Attorney-General stressed that the state is obligated to enforce the law equally, despite the challenges. The IDF and Israel Police acknowledged that proactive enforcement in haredi communities can lead to disturbances and requires substantial resources. They agreed to resume planned operations against haredi draft evaders in the near future and submitted an updated enforcement plan by August 30, detailing the proposed operations and resource allocation among different groups of draft evaders.\n\nThe review also calls for a rapid expansion of personal economic measures against individuals who have not regularized their status with the military. The government has not yet adopted a comprehensive policy covering all such benefits, and ongoing work between ministries aims to develop additional measures. The latest figures reinforce previous High Court rulings, which have directed government ministries to implement specific economic measures and required the police to assist in enforcement efforts. The Attorney-General's stance is that the experience of the past year demonstrates that enlistment has increased, and enforcement, along with tailored military options, has been effective. However, the continuing disparity in arrests and prosecutions means that the draft obligation is still not being applied equally, and the IDF is unable to recruit soldiers it could otherwise secure.",
  "summary": "Military officials said the enforcement gap stems largely from fewer arrests, since prosecutions generally begin only after draft evaders are detained or report to military facilities.",
  "key_points": [
    "Enforcement gap in draft compliance hampers IDF enlistment and creates unequal treatment.",
    "Haredi enlistment increased by 53% in 2025 draft year despite enforcement challenges."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}