Haredi Hesder Yeshiva Leaders Urge Knesset Chair Boaz Bismuth to Meet for Draft Law Solution

Following a report by Channel 13 revealing that leaders of the Haredi Hesder yeshivas proposed a plan to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt arrests of draft-dodging Haredi students, the Association of Hesder Yeshiva Heads addressed Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chair Boaz Bismuth on Tuesday. They called on him to "stop the political spins and meet with us to reach a solution." The committee was holding a discussion that morning on the draft law text aimed at stopping arrests of yeshiva students classified as draft evaders. The association urged Bismuth to fully adopt their proposed framework, asserting it meets all constitutional and legal requirements according to senior legal experts.

The association emphasized the urgency by stating, "When the fate of the Torah world is at stake, there is no room for futile political spins. It is time for a sustainable solution. Only the Hesder yeshivas' plan will save the Torah learners." They criticized the committee's discussion as ineffective, saying it would not halt arrests of diligent Torah students since it fails basic legal tests, as the committee's legal advisor had already indicated.

The Hesder yeshivas' plan, first reported by Channel 13, includes encouraging existing military service tracks, expanding Haredi recruitment into police and firefighting, and demanding a significant increase in funding for these yeshivas. The proposed law includes a temporary provision delaying enforcement actions against students who declare they meet study requirements from July 1, 2023, for 90 days after the law's start. During this freeze, the IDF Chief of Staff will form a committee within seven days to review the students' status. Students must submit personal affidavits and a yeshiva head's affidavit confirming their study status to pause enforcement.

No criminal proceedings will be taken during the committee's review, and ongoing cases will be halted or suspended. These protections do not apply if affidavits are not submitted within 30 days of the law's start. If the committee finds conditions unmet after hearing the student, protections end. Meanwhile, the Haredi establishment opposes cooperation with the Hesder yeshivas, fearing that collaboration would legitimize the yeshivas' role in resolving the draft-dodger status, a move they do not support.