Israeli Parliament Advances Controversial Laws Protecting Yeshiva Students From Military Arrests Amid IDF Warnings

Despite ongoing recognition of reservists this month, the Israeli Knesset marked the day by advancing legislation seen as protecting military draft evasion. The Knesset Committee approved a preliminary reading of a Basic Law to enshrine Torah study as a constitutional value, effectively shielding draft evasion by yeshiva students. Simultaneously, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee revived discussions on a temporary law exempting yeshiva students from military arrest, aiming to pass it before the Knesset dissolves on July 16. Both committees worked in parallel to expedite these measures.

The Basic Law proposal declares Torah study a fundamental value in Israel’s heritage and legal framework, but legal advisors expressed confusion over its implications. Arbel Asrhan, legal advisor to the Knesset Committee, and Deputy Government Legal Advisor Avital Sompolinsky both noted the bill’s unclear content and questioned its legislative viability. Meanwhile, the temporary exemption law, intended to last three months, was criticized by legal counsel Miri Frankel-Shur as a workaround to avoid comprehensive legislation on yeshiva students’ status, dubbing it a "mini draft law." It is widely doubted the law would withstand Supreme Court scrutiny.

The IDF’s chief of manpower planning, Brigadier General Shay Tayeb, challenged the premise that sanctions fail to encourage enlistment, reporting that the number of ultra-Orthodox recruits doubled from 1,800 in 2022 to over 3,500 in 2025. However, Tayeb warned that the exemption law could harm recruitment efforts and create negative consequences. Currently, 74,000 ultra-Orthodox youths are classified as draft evaders or in the process of being declared as such.

Meanwhile, government legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara updated the Supreme Court on sanctions against draft evaders, noting preparations to revoke childcare subsidies starting in the 2026/27 school year. Other benefits such as discounted housing and stipends have already been removed. However, Transport Minister Miri Regev is delaying the cancellation of public transport discounts, and the government has blocked transferring municipal tax authority to the Prime Minister to cancel property tax discounts for evaders. Lawyer Gilad Barnea of the NGO Ima Ahera criticized the government for systematically undermining sanctions but acknowledged that preferential rights for evaders are ending.

Baharav-Miara also reported that 92,000 individuals are currently classified or in process as draft evaders, about 80% of whom are ultra-Orthodox. She emphasized that evasion among the general population is minimal, countering claims that evasion is widespread in secular areas like Tel Aviv.