Israeli Parliament Advances Broad Immunity Law for Ultra-Orthodox Draft Dodgers with Travel Privileges

The Israeli Knesset has published a new version of a law designed to protect ultra-Orthodox Jewish draft dodgers from arrest, revealing a significantly broader scope than initially presented. Unlike previous drafts, the law imposes no military service obligations or recruitment targets on the ultra-Orthodox, instead offering only benefits and exemptions. These include the ability for draft dodgers to travel abroad and the suspension of economic sanctions related to draft evasion.

The law is intended as a temporary framework, initially described as lasting three months, but in practice it will remain in effect until a new arrangement is reached. Oversight of who qualifies as a Torah student will rely solely on reports from yeshivas, with no clear deadline for the Defense Minister to appoint supervisors, potentially delaying enforcement.

Alongside this legislation, the Knesset is advancing a Basic Law on Torah Study, with a first reading scheduled for Wednesday. This law aims to provide a legal shield in the Supreme Court regarding the status of Torah study exemptions. A committee will also be established to consider freezing proceedings against ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, relying heavily on affidavits, which may limit flexibility.

Legal experts in the Knesset have criticized the new law as more problematic than the original draft law, as it lacks any recruitment targets or obligations for the ultra-Orthodox community. With only three weeks remaining in the current Knesset session, lawmakers are focusing on finalizing this deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties.