High court: Haredi students with unsettled military status won't get national insurance discounts - Sarah Ben-Nun

 

by Sarah Ben-Nun

Yeshiva students who have not settled their status with the military or procured a valid exemption will not be eligible for relevant discounts on national insurance.

 

Haredim protest against the IDF draft outside Tel Hashomer recruitment base, April 28. 2025.

(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)

The High Court of Justice ruled on Monday that ultra-Orthodox (haredi) yeshiva students who have not settled their status with the military or procured a valid exemption will not be eligible for relevant discounts on national insurance. 

The ruling was handed down in a response to a petition by NGOs Israel Hofsheet and the Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG). The decision will kick in after a transition period - the State has 30 days to announce when that will be.

The petition argues that since the draft law expired in June 2023, there has been no legal base for exemption, and so no base either for the discounts. These, Israel Hofsheet noted, in practice, “constitute a state subsidy for unlawful draft evaders.”

MQG petitioned the court already in January, following a court ruling from June 2024, which determined that the government is not permitted to financially encourage draft evasion by granting benefits and exemptions. 

The cost to the treasury of these discounts, MQG noted, is estimated at over NIS 100m. per year - at over NIS 1,000 per student, and at a discount percentage of 67. 

POLICE CONFRONT haredi demonstrators blocking a road in Jerusalem, protesting against efforts to draft haredim into the military, earlier this month. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The court noted, in its decision, that the government is not permitted to financially incentivize the evasion of military service. 

“We will stop all privileges for draft evaders, even if the government continues to drag its feet. Petition after petition, all incentives for those who choose to shirk their military service during wartime will be stopped. The time for equality has come,” said Uri Keidar, Israel Hofsheet’s executive director.

Funding stops for draft dodgers yeshivot

A little over a month ago, the court ruled in favor of a different petition filed by Israel Hofsheet. It decided that the State must halt funding for ultra-Orthodox (haredi) yeshivot designated specifically for at-risk youth who don't draft to the IDF - Specifically, for the Noham institutions for disengaged youth. 

It ruled then that the funding would stop this month. 

The petition notes that many of these students are not studying Torah in a consistent manner, and often work off-the-books - in violation of the conditions for military exemption. Some NIS 35m. had been allocated by the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry to these institutions. 

Attorney Ori Hess, who heads MQG’s economics department, said, “This is a significant victory for the principle of equality and for protecting public funds. The High Court confirmed our position that evasion of military service should not be financially rewarded. The decision will return more than 100 million shekels a year to the state treasury and strengthen the principle of equal burden. This is a good day for Israeli democracy and for every citizen who believes in social justice.” 

Sarah Ben-Nun

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-866798

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