Israeli Government Watchdog Challenges Extension of Military Service in Supreme Court

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Sunday against Amendment No. 29 to the Security Service Law, which was approved by the Knesset on May 17. This amendment extends mandatory military service from 30 to 32 months for recruits enlisting between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2029, including soldiers currently serving who expected to be discharged under the previous law. The petition requests a conditional injunction to suspend the amendment’s implementation until a final ruling and demands an urgent hearing.

The petition argues that the amendment retroactively harms soldiers’ reliance on existing laws and damages their trust in authorities. It highlights that the financial compensation for the additional two months, set at 175% or 200% of the basic allowance, amounts to only a few thousand shekels and cannot remedy violations of fundamental rights such as equality, liberty, and autonomy. The Movement emphasizes that the amendment exacerbates inequality by increasing the burden on those serving while exempting tens of thousands of draft-eligible ultra-Orthodox Jews, following the recent enactment of a law freezing arrests of draft evaders in the ultra-Orthodox community.

The petition notes that both laws were discussed together in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in May, creating a situation where enforcement is lifted for one group but intensified for another, deepening discrimination and violating constitutional rights. The Movement cites legal opinions from government advisors who warned that increasing service obligations without addressing recruitment disparities is a serious constitutional flaw. Former committee chairman MK Yuli Edelstein also acknowledged the inseparability of service extension and ultra-Orthodox recruitment issues.

The petition references military data showing significant casualties and shortages in combat troops, with about 12,000 soldiers missing per recruitment cycle, including 7,500 fighters. The IDF has stated that extending service alone will not close these gaps without expanding ultra-Orthodox enlistment. Government Secretary Yossi Fox explained the amendment is a temporary measure before elections, with further discussions planned afterward.

Attorney Stav Lavna Lahav, head of the Movement’s legal department, condemned the unequal burden, stating, "Israel tells a soldier returning from two years of war to stay two more months, while telling those who never enlisted not to worry about enforcement. There is no blood more valuable than another’s, and no obligation that applies to one group but not another. Equality in burden is not a slogan but a legal duty upheld by the Supreme Court for decades." The Movement vows to continue its legal fight until equal service obligations apply to all.