Israeli Knesset Legal Advisor Finds Flaws in Draft Law on Draft Dodgers' Detention

On July 26, 2026, the Knesset's legal advisor, Attorney Shagit Afik, declared that the legislative process for the draft law concerning the detention of draft dodgers was flawed and did not meet the required high standards. According to her legal opinion, the law's content deviated from the original proposal, introducing a new subject matter that conflicted with the Knesset's rules and Basic Laws. This discrepancy was particularly significant given the changed circumstances following the October 7 massacre.

The legal advice highlighted that the law's enactment did not comply with the Knesset's procedural regulations and failed to align with the updated needs of the military and security establishment. The letter referenced a July 12, 2026, letter from IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Knesset Committee Chair Boaz Bismuth. Kochavi strongly opposed the law, warning it would incentivize draft evasion by granting immunity from prosecution and criminal proceedings, thus contradicting the IDF's operational requirements.

Furthermore, Kochavi objected to establishing a military committee to assess the status of yeshiva students under the law's temporary provisions, arguing it would undermine the IDF's legitimacy and divert resources during wartime. Concurrently, the government requested authorization to mobilize up to 240,000 reservists if necessary by the end of September 2026. Zionist Union party chairman MK Hili Tropper criticized the government for approving both the draft dodgers' law and the large-scale reservist call-up, calling it contradictory to the government's stance on draft evasion.