Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara urges the High Court to overturn legislation freezing the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers.
Submitting the state’s opinion, Baharav-Miara calls the law passed during a final legislative blitz by the government “an extreme and clear case of defective and harmful legislation that does not meet legal standards.”
The court has already temporarily frozen the implementation of the law and Baharav-Miara urges the court to block it completely.
Baharav-Miara says the government’s efforts to exempt the ultra-Orthodox from military service mean that the burden placed on those who do serve has become unbearable.
The law bans arrests, investigations and enforcement measures against draft dodgers enrolled in yeshiva study until November 30, but will actually extend to February 2027 due to legal reasons tied to the upcoming elections.
Some 72,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged 18 to 24 are currently eligible for military service, but have ignored conscription orders. The IDF has said repeatedly in recent months that it urgently needs 12,000 new recruits amid the ongoing multifront conflict.
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