Israel Tightens Hiring Rules for Draft-Evaders in Government Jobs
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Israel's Civil Service Commission will now block government job applications from individuals who have not regularized their military service status. This intensified enforcement, using a computerized system, aims to ensure compliance with existing regulations. The move follows High Court rulings mandating action against Haredi draft evaders and comes amid political tensions before upcoming elections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's Civil Service Commission will block government job hires who haven't regularized their IDF status.
- A computerized system will automatically prevent hiring candidates with unsettled military affairs.
- Candidates will have five days to resolve their military status or risk job offer cancellation.
- The directive enforces existing regulations in response to High Court rulings on Haredi conscription.
- The timing of the announcement, before elections, has drawn criticism as politically motivated.
The Israel Civil Service Commission is intensifying enforcement against the employment of individuals evading military service who have not regularized their status with the IDF. A new directive will block the hiring process for such candidates in government ministries through the computerized recruitment system. This move, occurring shortly before elections, is seen by some as an attempt to incite against the Haredi public and harm Torah scholars.
The directive, sent to government ministries this week, follows recent steps to enforce conscription among young Haredi men and directives from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara regarding sanctions for those who do not enlist. The letter is signed by Nissim Mizrahi, who oversees government ministries and affiliate units and heads the Senior Staff Administration at the Civil Service Commission.
Civil Service Commission officials emphasize that this is not a new rule but a renewed enforcement of an existing regulation within the Civil Service Regulations (Tashkir). The directive aims to ensure the existing rule is actually applied, without adding new employment conditions. However, it introduces a computerized enforcement mechanism that will halt the hiring process for those who have not regularized their military status.
Under the new procedure, candidates will be informed during the application stage that their employment is contingent on resolving their military status. If a selected candidate is found to have not done so, they will be notified of a hearing and given five days to rectify the situation or provide proof of regularization. Failure to comply within this timeframe may result in the cancellation of their job offer.
This action is part of a series of measures taken in response to High Court of Justice rulings concerning the conscription of young Haredi men. The court previously ordered the government to develop effective enforcement policies against draft evaders and later found the government had not acted on this order. Six months ago, the High Court itself imposed personal sanctions on yeshiva students who had not regularized their status, including the denial of housing benefits, daycare subsidies, and public transportation discounts.
Mentioned
