JERUSALEM (JNS) – Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday issued an interim order prohibiting the government from providing stipends to some haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, Jewish men who do not serve in the Israel Defense Forces.
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Yeshivah students who did not obtain a military service deferral and who have failed to report for IDF service since July 1, 2023, will now be ineligible for the monthly financial stipends, according to the ruling.
The Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, also decided that an extended panel of nine justices will hear petitions demanding a universal military draft starting in May.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote to the court asking for another extension—this time for 30 days—so he could reach a political agreement regulating the haredi IDF draft.
“The government’s intention to settle this complex issue, which has not been resolved for decades, is clear from the fact that the government committed in June of last year to resolve the issue within nine months,” wrote the premier in a letter to the court.
However, Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attacks “obliged us to devote our time and attention mainly to the conduct of the war in the six months that have passed since,” Netanyahu wrote.
He said that while “considerable progress” has been made towards reaching an agreement within the coalition government, the “work is not yet complete.”
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara told the court on Thursday that the state is legally obligated to draft yeshivah students starting on Monday and to stop paying their monthly stipends.
A temporary measure delaying the draft of haredi men is set to expire that day, and the High Court has previously threatened to rule on the matter without taking the PM’s response into consideration.
The issue of haredi enlistment reached a climax this week as Netanyahu’s coalition failed to advance legislation ahead of a court-mandated Wednesday deadline. In a last-minute move, the government requested multiple extensions to file a final response in the case.
The government asked for the delays after the Attorney General’s Office, which has been at odds with the government over its haredi enlistment bill, circulated its draft response to the court regarding the proposed law, stating that conscription of haredim should commence on April 1.
Baharav-Miara has argued that the state lacks the authority to do otherwise, due to the temporary order expiring next week. The attorney general also stated that the state funding of yeshivahs whose students don’t comply with the draft should be halted.
Netanyahu postponed a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday to approve its draft bill due to continued objections from legal advisers.
Some of the general principles of the government’s proposed legislation include gradually increasing recruitment targets for haredim; economic incentives to encourage service (both positive and negative); and creating a special battalion to accommodate religious sensibilities.
While nearly all Israelis agree that the ultra-Orthodox community should play a larger role in Israel’s national defense, coalition members have questioned the behavior and timing of the Supreme Court, the attorney general and certain members of the wartime government.
For more than 70 years, a policy dating back to the nascent days of the Israeli state has allowed ultra-Orthodox yeshivah students to postpone their compulsory military service until they reach the age of exemption.
The number of haredi men studying in yeshivahs who are deemed eligible for IDF service is estimated at between 63,000 and 66,000. Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 1,140 haredim enlisted, of which 600 were over the age of 26, the current age of exemption for them.
Speaking to students at an ultra-Orthodox school in the city of Tiberias in the Galilee on Thursday, United Torah Judaism lawmaker Moshe Gafni, chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, said, “I bless the soldiers who risk their lives in Gaza and here on the northern border; I pray with all the people of Israel that they return home safe and sound, but without Torah students, we have no future.
“Without the Torah scholars, we have no right to exist in this land. After 2,000 years of exile, the people of Israel returned to being a Jewish nation in their own land, and this is in the merit of the Torah scholars who continue the tradition,” declared Gafni.
The key fact here is that the Likud-Religious Zionism-Charedi coalition couldn’t even come up with an internal agreement on this issue. The Charedi demand that any high school graduate who enrolls in a Charedi yeshiva (even one that doesn’t require him to show up) be exempt from military service is no longer tolerable, not even to Charedi coalition partners like Likud and Religious Zionism.
Baruch Hashem! Now the Heilige Chareidi Bnei Toireh will get to learn Toireh l’shmah, without being metameh by taking the treifine money of those kefirehdike Tziyoinim!! A little bread, salt, and water, while sleeping on the floor – what a Ruchniusdike pure experience! After all, the Mishna says that that’s the derech of Toireh…
Apparently Hesder doesn’t count as learning according the cherdim….
Anyone that wants to learn full time should be able to, there are enough boys that don’t have the patience to learn that can serve in the army on the other hand for the state to fund them while they learn is a different story. I don’t see why the state has to fund them.
Can someone please explain to me why in Israel 100% of the population has to learn full time while here in America most of us work for a living?.
I am not trying to attack I am just not familiar and want to become educated.
It’s ironic that 10 years ago when Dov Lipman proposed solutions to this very problem, he was castrized by the very same charedi groups now formulating proposals. Further, today’s problems would not have made it to reality had his foresight ideas on topic been implemented.
This is why court reform was needed
When courts begin to dictate state law usurping the legislature role you have problems But in reality to
Many use yeshiva as a cover
Now, if only all North American yeshiva bochrim ages 19+ who are not productive or in regular attendance in the yeshivos they are enrolled in, would face an ultimatum of either learn full time monitored with testing, Marines or work, then we’re talking.
This is why the Judicial reform is critical there. Their supreme court is entering into things that they have zero business being involved in. This is a budgetary issue not a court issue. This is for the elected and the electorate to handle!!
Must stop funding to all schools and institutions that don’t teach Torah and its application in daily life
A few weeks ago, the Ashlag Rebbe of Bnei Brak (yes, there’s a bunch of Ashlag Rebbes) “threatened” that he and his followers would leave Israel – for Hungary!
This issue now has nothing to do with this issue of military service… It’s the timing of Biden reelection Orchestrated by Obama n the Clinton machine to topple the Netanyahu government… N most likely they’ll be successful… Plus the rafah invasion delays will create more military casualties in other parts of the Gaza strip, more international pressures buildup n frustrate the isreali public… So the B, O, C plan is actually on track to be successful unfortunately!!
1. Learning Torah is the greatest Mitzva and connects Am Yisroel to Hashem
2. Those calling for the Hareidi draft have no interest in them being drafted, rather, they are interested in causing the coalition to fall.
3. Hashem created the world in a way were we are expected to do Hishtadlut including going to the army and protecting our country.
4. For those who are constantly chanting “only learning torah saves”, you did quite a lousy job on Oct 7…..
The Ashlag Rebbe and DovLipman presented the same solution
The Israel supreme court and the ardent secular Zionists are not just evil but foolish as well. I have been suggesting for decades that the government/army create a VOLUNTARY program of basic training Bein Hazmanim for any Yeshiva bachur. In this program he learns how to use weapons, communication and military equipment (it is beyond the scope of such a brief program to learn hand to hand combat). I predict that 50-90% of Yeshiva bachrim would voluntarily attend to learn these skills. Then in a dire situation such as Oct. 7 these Bachurim would race to volunteer to help the war effort. They wouldn’t need to be drafted because they would see it as a necessity.
This is a good start with the money – But now they have to follow up with drafting them or putting them in jail. Just like all the others in Eretz Yisroel that are given that choice
You guys wanted to flatten gaza, you want to go in to rafah, you voted for every right wing extremist policy the last 20 years, now pay for it, please send your boys.
Mr. Goldknoff you want to concquare gaza and resettle Israelis, right? So please be so kind and do you share, send your boys to fight for it. Thanks
The zionists benefit by getting Shmira from our learning
What do the two have in common?
They have the right to be upset but not to stop funding..