MKs Propose Bills to Halt Yeshiva Student Draft Evasion Arrests

With the 26th Knesset convened, MK Meir Porush, joined by MK Eliyahu Stark, has introduced two significant legislative proposals aimed at fundamentally regulating the legal status of yeshiva students and Kollel scholars. The first bill seeks to permanently establish the status of yeshiva students whose occupation is Torah study. Under this proposal, the Defense Minister could grant a service deferment to students engaged in regular Torah studies for at least 45 hours weekly in a yeshiva or 40 hours in a Kollel. These deferments would be renewable annually until the student reaches the age of 26, at which point they would receive a full exemption from mandatory military service. Crucially, this bill includes retroactive provisions to address the situation of yeshiva students since the previous law expired, ensuring that those who met study requirements before the new law's enactment will not face prosecution for failing to report for duty. Any ongoing legal proceedings or judgments against them would be halted.

Concurrently, Porush and Stark submitted an urgent, temporary one-year bill titled the "Arrest Freeze Law." This measure is presented as a response to a "Jewish and social emergency," aiming to alleviate deep societal unrest and a sense of persecution stemming from the current legal situation. The immediate goal is to halt arrests, investigations, and criminal enforcement actions against yeshiva students whose enlistment date falls on or after July 1, 2023, provided they declare they are studying the required hours and are not engaged in other employment. This temporary law would suspend any enforcement under the Security Service Law or Military Justice Law.

Porush's office stated that introducing these bills at the opening of the Knesset prioritizes the protection of Torah scholars, aiming to remove the threat of arrests and sanctions and allow the world of Torah study to continue unimpeded. These legislative efforts come in the wake of recent arrests of yeshiva students, including the widely publicized detention of groom Yaari Lieberman during his wedding week, which sparked protests. Lieberman was released the following day after significant pressure. Political discussions regarding the regulation of yeshiva students' status are ongoing, with comparisons being made to previous legislative attempts like the Lieberman Law of 2018 and the Bismuth Law, the former being considered more lenient for the Haredi public.