Israel's Legal Advisor Seeks to Revoke Benefits for Draft Dodgers
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
Israel's Legal Advisor Gali Baharav-Miara has reported 110,330 draft dodgers, mostly ultra-Orthodox, to the Supreme Court. She is pushing to revoke all state economic benefits for these individuals and criticized the lack of enforcement actions. Despite increased ultra-Orthodox enlistment, the IDF faces severe personnel shortages. The Tel Aviv District Court also criticized military lawyers for delays and potential selective sentencing in cases of draft evasion.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Over 110,000 Israelis are evading mandatory military service, primarily from the ultra-Orthodox community.
- Legal Advisor Gali Baharav-Miara seeks to strip draft dodgers of all state economic benefits.
- Enforcement actions against draft dodgers have significantly decreased, with no special operations conducted recently.
- The IDF faces a severe personnel shortage, especially in combat units.
- The Tel Aviv District Court criticized military lawyers for delays and potential selective sentencing.
Israel's Legal Advisor to the Government, Gali Baharav-Miara, has submitted an official report to the Supreme Court detailing that 110,330 citizens are evading mandatory military service, with the majority belonging to the ultra-Orthodox community. Baharav-Miara stated that the state has not fully utilized available mechanisms to address this issue and proposed new regulations to completely strip draft dodgers of state economic benefits, according to Ynet. The report indicates a near-complete halt in active enforcement actions, with no special operations conducted to apprehend evaders between July 1 and October 12. While police stopped 192 individuals during routine checks, they were released without being handed over to military police, reportedly due to the military's failure to arrive within the stipulated timeframe. Baharav-Miara emphasized that while the army is primarily responsible for recruitment, resolving this crisis requires coordinated efforts from all branches of government. She noted weak coordination between military command and civilian police hinders equal application of the law. The cabinet has also missed a court-imposed deadline to approve a clear package of financial sanctions against draft dodgers. Previous court rulings had already mandated the cessation of subsidies for students in religious institutions who refuse service. Despite an increase in ultra-Orthodox enlistment in 2025, with 4,298 individuals serving compared to 2,811 the previous year, this rise does not meet the IDF's operational needs or resolve the issue of equal burden-sharing. Baharav-Miara highlighted a severe personnel shortage within the army, particularly in combat units. Separately, the Tel Aviv District Court criticized military lawyers for systematic delays in providing information on prison sentences for deserters and potential selective sentencing. Internal statistics show a significant decline in enforcement, with only 437 individuals detained since the beginning of 2026, while the number of deserters has grown to nearly 77,000.
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