“Israel’s” New Crisis: AG Tells Army to Immediately Draft 3,000 Haredi Students

In a letter addressed to the ministries of war, finance, and education, the Attorney General’s Office also ordered the government to refrain from transferring funds previously allocated to “yeshivas” for students who were studying in lieu of military service, in accordance with the court’s decision, telling the ministries they can no longer provide such support in any format.

The instructions came hours after a landmark “High Court” decision that determined for the first time that ultra-Orthodox settlers are obligated to perform military service, since the previous legislative and administrative arrangements allowing for their blanket exemptions have now expired.

“The security establishment is obligated to act immediately to implement the ruling to draft ‘yeshiva’ students who are obligated to perform military service, in accordance with the needs of the army and its capabilities, and in accordance with its commitment to draft 3,000 recruits,” Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon told the army in a letter to its legal adviser.

There are currently some 63,000 Haredi “yeshiva” students who, under the ruling, are obligated to perform military service, although the army told the court that it could realistically draft just 3,000 in the 2024 enlistment year, which began in June.

According to an ultra-Orthodox activist involved in promoting enlistment, at least 10,000 Haredi “Israeli” are exempted annually from military service under false pretenses and should enlist per the High Court of Justice ruling.