Knesset Committee Debates Law Shielding Ultra-Orthodox Draft Dodgers from Arrest

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee convened on June 30, 2026, to discuss the controversial "Draft Dodgers Law," formally known as Security Service Amendment No. 26, which aims to freeze criminal proceedings against ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who avoid military service. The discussion was prompted by a government request, led by Defense Minister Israel Katz, to enact a temporary order preventing arrests of these draft dodgers for at least three months.

The law, which is being prepared for its second and third readings, offers benefits and exemptions to ultra-Orthodox individuals without imposing any military service obligations. It effectively grants legal immunity to those who evade conscription, based on their full-time Torah study (40-45 hours weekly). The committee's legal advisor, Attorney Miri Frenkel-Shur, sharply criticized the updated bill, arguing it has significantly deviated from its original intent of providing only a temporary freeze on arrests.

Frenkel-Shur warned that the law creates a "long-term bypass" to the existing military exemption framework, effectively legitimizing draft evasion and offering preemptive immunity to future draft dodgers. She described the bill as a "mini draft law" that formalizes the status of yeshiva students both immediately and for the foreseeable future, without imposing reciprocal duties. The updated draft removes key enforcement mechanisms such as clear recruitment targets and sanctions, including economic penalties and travel restrictions, which were part of the original proposal.

The committee, chaired by MK Boaz Bismuth, is expected to continue deliberations over the next two days. The legal advisor's critique highlights concerns that the law could undermine military service compliance and legal enforcement in the long term. The government seeks to balance political pressures from the ultra-Orthodox community with national security needs, but the bill's critics see it as granting undue leniency to draft evaders.