Israel Government Undermines Court Orders to Draft Haredi Men

Despite a June 2024 Supreme Court ruling mandating financial disincentives for Haredi men who evade military conscription, the Netanyahu government has repeatedly acted to weaken, delay, and circumvent these measures. The court had ordered the cessation of state funding for yeshivas attended by draft-eligible men who do not enlist, and the removal of personal benefits, such as subsidized daycare, for draft dodgers. The government, however, continued to allocate billions of shekels to the Haredi education system through coalition funds and other budgetary channels, even increasing these allocations.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the government also sought to postpone the cancellation of daycare subsidies for draft-eligible "avrechim" (married yeshiva students), and the coalition advanced legislation to reinstate these benefits. While the Supreme Court aimed to impose a tangible cost on draft evasion, the government simultaneously worked to create alternative funding sources and weaken sanctions, thereby diminishing the economic incentive for Haredi enlistment.

The Supreme Court's ruling was unequivocal: without a law exempting yeshiva students from military service, their evasion was illegal, and the state must enforce the Security Service Law on them. The court also stated that funding for religious institutions could not be provided for students who were draft-eligible and evading service, establishing a direct link between the conscription obligation and budgetary support for yeshivas. The financial impact of the ruling was significant, with the cessation of funding for draft-eligible students estimated at approximately 650 million shekels annually.

Additionally, the cancellation of daycare subsidies for draft-eligible "avrechim" represented a substantial financial blow, estimated at around 26,400 shekels per family annually, totaling approximately 250 million shekels per year. Further sanctions included restrictions on international travel for draft dodgers. Despite these measures, the government, led by Smotrich, continued to transfer vast sums to Haredi institutions through other budgetary items, significantly weakening the economic motivation for yeshivas to encourage enlistment.

Budgetary allocations for the Haredi sector have remained substantial, with the 2024 budget including around 1.7 billion shekels for religious institutions. The 2025 budget allocated approximately 1.843 billion shekels for the Haredi education system, including 269 million shekels for religious institutions that also enroll draft-eligible students. The 2026 budget further increased funding for religious institutions to approximately 1.9 billion shekels. These actions, coupled with legislative efforts to reinstate benefits and the lack of enforcement against draft evaders, have undermined the economic incentives intended to promote Haredi enlistment.