Israel's Supreme Court Overturns Law Shielding Haredi Draft Dodgers

On September 3, 2026, Israel's Supreme Court unanimously struck down an amendment to the military service law that had protected ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from arrest. The amendment, known as the "Freezing of Arrest, Investigation, or Enforcement Proceedings Against a Person Drafted into Military Service Who is a Yeshiva Student - Temporary Order," had effectively shielded Haredi draft dodgers while other draft dodgers faced detention.

Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Solberg stated in the ruling that the amendment fundamentally deviated from the bill's original purpose, violating Knesset rules. The court found a procedural flaw, as the bill had not undergone a proper first reading. Furthermore, eight of the nine justices deemed the amendment unconstitutional on its merits, citing a severe violation of the fundamental right to equality and its failure to meet the criteria for limiting constitutional rights.

The law, passed in its second and third readings in mid-July 2026 with a vote of 58 to 54, was intended to halt enforcement actions and arrests against Haredi yeshiva students for five months. Previously, the legal advisor to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee had criticized the initiative for creating a sectoral exemption that exacerbated social inequality without effective oversight mechanisms.