Israel's Attorney General Urges Action on Draft Evasion
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Israel's Attorney General informed the High Court of Justice that 110,330 individuals are evading military service, with 81% being ultra-Orthodox. She urged the state to better enforce conscription laws and suggested revoking economic benefits for evaders. Despite the high evasion rate, ultra-Orthodox enlistment rose by 65% in 2025, with 4,298 joining the IDF.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- 110,330 Israelis are evading military service, 81% of whom are ultra-Orthodox.
- Attorney General urged the High Court to consider revoking economic benefits for draft evaders.
- The state is not fully utilizing its enforcement measures against draft dodgers, according to the Attorney General.
- Ultra-Orthodox enlistment in the IDF increased by 65% in 2025, reaching 4,298 individuals.
- Professionals attribute the rise in ultra-Orthodox enlistment to tailored service options and increased enforcement.
Israel's Attorney General informed the High Court of Justice that 110,330 individuals liable for military conscription are evading service, with the state failing to fully utilize enforcement measures. The data presented revealed that 81% of these draft dodgers and deserters are from the ultra-Orthodox community, while 19% are from the general population. Baharav-Miara suggested that the state should consider additional measures to revoke economic benefits for those who do not fulfill their military service obligation.
In parallel, the report highlighted a significant increase in ultra-Orthodox enlistment. In the 2025 recruitment year, 4,298 ultra-Orthodox men joined the IDF, a rise of approximately 65% compared to the previous year. This increase is attributed by professionals to a combination of expanded service options tailored for the ultra-Orthodox community and intensified enforcement actions, including economic measures.
The Attorney General's update to the court also criticized the state's insufficient use of existing enforcement tools against draft evaders. She proposed that the court consider issuing further directives to enable the denial of economic benefits to individuals failing to meet their conscription duty, beyond the steps currently being taken.
