Israel's Supreme Court to Hear Case on Haredi Draft Service Stipends
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Supreme Court will hear case on Haredi civil service stipends.
- Petition argues for equalizing payments with general national service.
- Approximately 1,400 Haredi men are currently serving.
- Haredi stipends are significantly higher than general service.
- State must provide updated response by October 13.
Israel's Supreme Court will continue to hear a petition concerning the stipends paid to Haredi men serving in national civil service roles, despite the expiration of the relevant law. The court rejected a request to dismiss the petition filed by "Israel Hofshit" (Free Israel), allowing the case to proceed. This means the court may intervene in the stipend amounts for approximately 1,400 Haredi men currently serving.
The legal battle stems from a 2014 law that regulated civil service for those whose exemption was based on "Torato Umnuto" (his Torah is his craft), while a separate security service law allowed yeshiva students to defer military service. The "Torato Umnuto" arrangement expired in June 2023 and has since been extended by temporary orders. The "Israel Hofshit" petition, filed in late 2025, argued that without a valid conscription arrangement, Haredi candidates should not be referred or funded for civil service. It also highlighted a significant disparity in stipends between Haredi civil servants and those in general national service.
On June 11, the Supreme Court issued an order nisi, demanding the state and Knesset explain why the stipends for Haredi civil servants should not be equalized with those in general national service. The state argued the petition became moot after the law expired on August 31, as new candidates could no longer join. However, the state acknowledged that those already serving would continue under existing rights until their service ends, affecting about 1,400 individuals.
"Israel Hofshit" countered that the stipend dispute remains relevant for active participants. The court sided with this argument, refusing to dismiss the petition. Current data indicates Haredi civil servants can receive up to approximately 4,580 shekels per month, compared to about 1,305 shekels for general national service participants. If the court orders equalization, some individuals could see their monthly stipends significantly reduced. The court has not yet ordered any cuts, and the matter is still under review. The state must submit an updated response by October 13, after which the court may rule on the stipend issue for current Haredi civil servants.