Israeli Government Proposes Temporary Law to Halt Arrests of Torah Students Under Supervision

Israeli Government Secretary Yossi Fox sent a formal letter to Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth outlining a proposed law aimed at preventing the arrest of Torah students. The legislation targets only those studying under "effective supervision" and seeks to freeze criminal proceedings against yeshiva students through a temporary provision. This move follows a Supreme Court ruling that led to the withdrawal of funding from yeshivas with draft-eligible students and imposed economic sanctions on them and their families, including loss of discounts on daycare, after-school programs, social security, and housing.

Following the ruling, the Attorney General instructed the IDF and Israeli Police to conduct frequent arrests of yeshiva students without distinguishing between those actively studying and those not. Fox noted this enforcement has deepened the divide with the ultra-Orthodox community and failed to advance military recruitment. The letter highlights recent unrest among ultra-Orthodox families, especially those with sons serving in combat or Hesder yeshiva frameworks, who now oppose continued service due to fears of arrest.

Last week, 12 heads of Hesder yeshivas sent a letter warning that the wave of arrests is causing severe distress in the ultra-Orthodox public, undermining trust and fostering feelings of persecution and extremism. They called for immediate legislation to halt arrests, arguing this would create the necessary calm for developing recruitment solutions based on regulation rather than coercion. They stressed that current measures harm recruitment efforts and risk igniting internal conflict just days before the Jewish mourning period of Bein HaMetzarim.

The letter also notes that the expiration of the previous Security Service Law removed the exemption age of 26, exposing married yeshiva students aged 26 to 29 to arrests, despite the IDF not seeking their service. Over the past two years, the Knesset committee held 86 discussions on the draft law, significantly tightening its provisions and adding clauses to stop ongoing criminal proceedings against thousands of yeshiva students. Due to political constraints ahead of elections, the government now proposes passing only the parts that freeze enforcement for three months, contingent on effective supervision.

Fox emphasized that this temporary order does not exempt students from military service obligations, deferment approvals, or economic sanctions imposed by the Supreme Court ruling.