Israeli Coalition Advances Law Suspending Arrests of Ultra-Orthodox Draft Dodgers Amid Military Opposition

The Israeli coalition government has advanced a controversial law suspending arrest procedures against ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who avoid military conscription, following intense political pressure. The legislation, approved overnight in the Knesset plenum and still under discussion, defines eligible yeshiva students as those engaged in at least 45 weekly hours of Torah study or 40 hours in kollels, excluding official vacation periods set by the Defense Minister. Arrests of these students will be frozen immediately upon the law's enactment, which is set to remain effective until November 30, with potential automatic extensions tied to Knesset dissolution timelines.

The law notably omits any quantitative or annual military recruitment targets and excludes economic or criminal sanctions. It also removes a previous 90-day limit on freezing arrest procedures. The Defense Minister is tasked with compiling and overseeing the list of recognized yeshivas under the law, with regulatory and inspection powers delegated to officials, including those from the Education Ministry.

The legislation has sparked sharp criticism from IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz that the law undermines the military's legitimacy and trust among soldiers. Zamir opposed the establishment of a committee to examine yeshiva students' status and argued the law contradicts the army's urgent need for thousands of combat-ready soldiers amid current security challenges.

In response, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chair Boaz Bismuth accused Zamir of poor timing and questioned why the military waited until after committee approval to raise objections. Bismuth also stated that no evidence was presented linking yeshiva student arrests to actual enlistment. The debate reflects ongoing tensions between political efforts to accommodate ultra-Orthodox demands and the military's operational needs.

The law's passage comes alongside an extension of mandatory military service to 32 months, highlighting the complex and contentious nature of Israel's conscription policies. The coalition's concession to ultra-Orthodox pressures marks a significant shift in the handling of draft evasion cases, with immediate effects on enforcement and recruitment dynamics.