Ultra-Orthodox Rabbis Launch Campaign Against Draft Evasion Detention Suspension Law

Rabbis and yeshiva heads from extremist Sephardic-Haredi factions have declared opposition to a new law suspending the detention of draft-dodging yeshiva students. The law, approved on Sunday by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, temporarily halts arrests of these students until November 30, after the upcoming elections. Opponents argue the law grants excessive state oversight over Torah study, effectively allowing government inspectors to monitor who is genuinely studying Torah, which they see as an infringement on religious autonomy.

The rabbis stated in a letter that even if the law is later repealed or expires, consenting to it hands "a sword to the persecutors of Torah," enabling state mechanisms to penetrate the yeshiva world. They called for complete resistance, urging yeshiva leaders not to cooperate with authorities enforcing the law and to expel inspectors from their institutions. Although these rabbis do not control most Sephardic yeshivas, their opposition poses a significant enforcement challenge.

Previously, these groups also opposed the military draft law, but this marks their first public offensive against a comparatively lenient law. They plan protests outside the homes of Haredi Knesset members in the coming days to pressure against the legislation. The law defines a yeshiva student as someone studying Torah at least 45 hours weekly (40 hours in kollels), with the Defense Minister responsible for approving yeshivas and appointing inspectors to verify attendance. This legislation is part of a broader legislative push ahead of elections amid tensions over the Basic Law on Torah Study.