IDF Claims No Detailed Data on Draft Evasion Among Ultra-Orthodox in Tel Aviv Court

During a hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated it does not possess detailed data distinguishing draft evasion enforcement among the ultra-Orthodox community compared to other sectors. The IDF reportedly relies on general figures, does not differentiate between draft evaders and deserters, and the partial data provided relates to a situation from about a year ago.

Uri Kedar, CEO of the Free Israel Association, which filed a Freedom of Information request in May 2025 alongside the Movement for Freedom of Information, criticized the IDF’s handling of the inquiry. He asserted that the IDF is deliberately withholding information while the Israeli public seeks clarity on enforcement and conscription rates within the ultra-Orthodox sector. Kedar accused the military of delaying responses for over a year and providing mixed data when it finally replied.

The petition, submitted in January after the IDF failed to respond for over six months, demands detailed enforcement data that distinguishes between deserters, soldiers who left service, and draft evaders, specifically focusing on the ultra-Orthodox sector. At the hearing before Judge Limor Bibi, IDF legal representatives argued that under military law, absence from service is treated as a single offense and that no separate data exists or has been provided regarding deserters versus evaders. This suggests the IDF’s personnel systems cannot differentiate between a soldier who deserted and a yeshiva student who never reported for duty.

Judge Bibi criticized the IDF for its year-long delay and for submitting only partial data shortly before the hearing. When the state’s lawyer claimed the IDF was only obligated to provide data accurate at the time of the original request, the judge firmly rejected this, stating that outdated information is insufficient after such a delay. Under pressure, the state’s representative admitted that if the data were available, it would have been provided.

Kedar emphasized that the hearing demonstrated the IDF’s intentional blindness regarding enforcement of draft laws in the ultra-Orthodox sector. He accused the military of selectively presenting data in court and parliament but refusing to disclose it under freedom of information laws. Hidi Negev, CEO of the Movement for Freedom of Information, condemned the IDF for treating data concealment as a public relations issue and accused it of serving political interests rather than the public. He pledged to continue fighting to expose the lack of enforcement against ultra-Orthodox draft evaders compared to other populations.