Israel's Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Shielding Draft-Dodging Haredim

Israel's High Court of Justice, sitting as an expanded nine-judge panel, unanimously overturned a law that had frozen legal proceedings against ultra-Orthodox men evading mandatory military service. The court ruled that the amendment, passed by the Knesset shortly before its dissolution, fundamentally exceeded the scope of the original bill presented for its first reading. This procedural defect, according to the ruling authored by Justice Noam Solberg, necessitated the law's cancellation.

The law, enacted in July under pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties, had halted criminal measures against draft dodgers until November 30. It also extended the validity of administrative orders until three months after the formation of a new government, effectively freezing arrests for at least six months during the election period.