High Court grants government 3 more days to file response to Haredi military draft petition
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
The High Court of Justice grants the government’s request for an extra three days to formulate its response to petitions demanding that the state begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men of military age.
After the law regulating their military service exemptions expired last year, the government passed a resolution instructed state institutions not to enforce the draft for Haredi men while new legislation is formulated. That regulation expires on March 31.
In February the government said it would file its response by March 24 detailing how it proposes to resolve the highly charged political and societal conundrum of ultra-Orthodox military service.
The government now has now until March 27 to file its response.
High Court Acting President Uzi Vogelman and Justices Isaac Amit and Noam Sohlberg indicate their growing impatience with the government on the issue, however, by telling the state that if it does not file it response by March 27 the court will rule on the petitions on the basis of the information it has.
The court’s agreement to allow the government a further three days comes amid a brewing political crisis within the coalition over passing new legislation that would satisfy both the demands of the Haredi political parties that men from their community not be legally obligated to enlist, and the demands of a 2017 High Court ruling requiring legislation that increases ultra-Orthodox enlistment.
