Free Israel Petitions High Court to Halt Public Funds to Yeshivas
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
The Free Israel organization petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice to stop municipal funding for yeshivas and kollels attended by draft dodgers. The petition seeks to end financial support, property tax exemptions, and land allocations to these institutions, citing ongoing transfers of millions of shekels despite previous rulings. The organization argues this occurs during wartime when the IDF faces severe manpower shortages.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Free Israel petitioned the High Court to halt municipal funding for yeshivas with draft dodgers.
- The petition seeks to end financial support, tax breaks, and land allocations to these institutions.
- Local authorities reportedly transferred approximately NIS 61 million to 48 yeshiva organizations in 2024.
- Jerusalem municipality granted NIS 17 million in arnona exemptions to yeshivas in one year.
- The organization argues funding continues despite previous court rulings and wartime IDF shortages.
The Free Israel organization has filed a petition with the High Court of Justice, demanding an end to municipal funding for yeshivas and kollels attended by draft dodgers. The petition, filed against Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar and the Union of Local Authorities, seeks to amend local authority support procedures to prohibit funding for institutions with draft dodgers. It also calls for changes to property tax (arnona) discount policies and Interior Ministry directives to prevent land allocation to such institutions.
The petition highlights that over two and a half years have passed since a High Court ruling barred support payments to yeshivas for students who have not received exemption from military service or whose service has not been legally deferred. Subsequent petitions have led to restrictions on benefits for draft dodgers, including subsidized daycare and national insurance discounts, and a directive to prevent them from participating in the "Discounted Housing" program. The Attorney General has also instructed the Tax Authority to prepare for canceling tax benefits for donors to yeshivas with draft dodgers.
Despite these measures, the petition argues, many local authorities continue to transfer hundreds of millions of shekels to yeshivas and kollels through financial support, extensive arnona exemptions, valuable land and building allocations, and funding for events. This occurs during wartime, with growing manpower shortages in the IDF and an unprecedented burden on reserve and regular soldiers.
For example, the petition states that the Jerusalem municipality granted arnona exemptions worth approximately NIS 17 million to yeshivas and kollels in one year, while the Beit Shemesh municipality continues to allocate land and buildings to these institutions. A review of reports from 50 organizations operating yeshivas and kollels revealed that 48 of them received about NIS 61 million from local authorities in 2024.
Free Israel CEO Uri Keidar stated that until a government acts to stop funding draft dodgers, his organization will continue to block all avenues for public funds to flow to those who leave their brethren to fight alone. He emphasized that local authorities are not private entities and should not use public funds to support draft evasion.