From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
High Court strikes down law postponing ultra-Orthodox draft
The High Court of Justice strikes down as unconstitutional a 2015 amendment to Israel’s Equal Service Law that postponed efforts to increase IDF induction rates among the ultra-Orthodox.
The amendment had brought to a halt previous legislative efforts to level criminal sanctions against yeshiva students who evade the draft.
The original Equal Service Law was passed during the previous government under pressure from the Yesh Atid party, which had made expanding the ultra-Orthodox draft one of its signature policies.
It was overturned through an amendment after the 2015 elections when the Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism returned to the coalition, replacing Yesh Atid.
The High Court sets a one-year deadline, until September 12, 2018, for the Knesset and government to establish an alternative to the current framework.
The Times of Israel Community.