Ultra-Orthodox Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Halt Draft Evasion Arrests
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers MK Meir Porush and MK Eliyahu Stark have introduced two bills in the 26th Knesset to regulate the status of yeshiva students and halt arrests for draft evasion. One bill seeks a permanent exemption for students studying Torah until age 26, while a temporary one-year "Arrest Freeze Law" aims to stop arrests for those whose enlistment date is from July 1, 2023. The proposals are intended to address perceived persecution and allow Torah study to continue uninterrupted.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- MK Meir Porush introduced two bills to regulate yeshiva students' status and halt draft evasion arrests.
- One bill seeks a permanent exemption for students studying Torah until age 26.
- A temporary "Arrest Freeze Law" would halt arrests for students enlisting from July 1, 2023.
- The proposals aim to address perceived persecution and allow uninterrupted Torah study.
- MK Eliyahu Stark is a co-sponsor of both legislative initiatives.
With the opening of the 26th Knesset, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have introduced two legislative proposals aimed at addressing the legal status of yeshiva students and halting arrests for draft evasion. MK Meir Porush, joined by MK Eliyahu Stark, submitted the bills, which he stated are intended to "fundamentally regulate the legal status of yeshiva students and kollel members whose Torah is their occupation and to bring about an immediate cessation of arrest and criminal enforcement proceedings against Torah scholars."
The first bill seeks to permanently establish the status of yeshiva students. It proposes that the Defense Minister can grant a service deferment to students studying at least 45 hours weekly in a yeshiva and 40 hours weekly 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 service. The bill also includes provisions for students who have already met study requirements before the law's enactment, preventing them from being prosecuted for failing to enlist, or halting proceedings if already underway.
Concurrently, Porush and Stark submitted an urgent, one-year temporary order bill dubbed the "Arrest Freeze Law." This proposal aims to immediately halt arrests, investigations, and enforcement actions against yeshiva students whose enlistment date falls on or after July 1, 2023. The explanatory notes for this bill cite a "Jewish and social emergency" and an "impossible legal reality" leading to deep unrest and a "sense of persecution."
According to the temporary bill, no arrest, investigation, or enforcement actions under the Security Service Law or Military Justice Law will be taken against yeshiva students who declare they are studying the required hours and are not engaged in other employment. Porush's office stated that submitting these bills at the Knesset's opening prioritizes the protection of Torah scholars, aiming to remove the threat of arrests and sanctions and allow the world of Torah to continue its studies undisturbed.
