Israeli Attorney General Calls for Tougher Sanctions and Renewed Arrests of Draft-Dodging Haredi Youth

Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara issued a letter demanding increased enforcement and harsher sanctions against Haredi yeshiva students who evade military conscription. The letter, sent on June 2024, calls for a structured and proactive plan to enforce draft obligations among the Haredi community by August 30, 2026. Baharav-Miara emphasized that current enforcement levels are insufficient and fall short of government expectations, resulting in ineffective draft compliance and unequal enforcement compared to other sectors.

The letter instructs the military and police to develop clear operational steps and provide updated data on border crossing decisions related to draft evaders. It highlights the need to clarify criteria for travel bans and arrests at border crossings to prevent draft evaders from leaving the country. Data cited shows that since the start of 2026, 348 indictments were filed against draft evaders, with only 34 involving Haredim. In the past year, 1,528 draft evaders were stopped at borders, 298 were prevented from leaving, and 27 were arrested. Currently, about 101,000 individuals are registered as draft evaders or under draft orders, while 4,298 Haredi recruits enlisted in 2025.

Additionally, the Attorney General demands expanding sanctions against the Haredi community by cutting funding for after-school programs and housing assistance for families with draft-obligated fathers. Unlike families of terrorists who receive housing subsidies and after-school discounts, Haredi families with draft-dodging fathers would lose these benefits under the new proposal. The letter follows a recent decline in proactive arrests of draft-eligible Haredi youth and signals potential upcoming enforcement raids on yeshivas.