Attorney General Gali-Baharav-Miara intends to revoke the benefits given to yeshiva students for their social security payments — unless they regularize their status with the military, as revealed by Channel 12 News.
According to the report, the implication of this move is that tens of thousands of yeshiva students who received a draft order will no longer be eligible for the discount and will need to pay an additional approximately 1,000 shekels per year in national insurance contributions.
Currently, yeshiva students benefit from a discount, paying only 43 shekels per month in social security contributions, similar to students in higher education institutions.
Meanwhile, the rest of the public who are not employed and do not have income that requires social security contributions are required to pay 130 shekels per month. This is a benefit totaling 1,044 shekels annually.
According to the professional stance developed by the attorney general, the current legal situation no longer allows the state to define those who violate their draft duty as engaging in activities the state can encourage. For this reason, the law allows the state to grant the social security benefit only to yeshiva students who have individually regularized their status with the IDF.
The attorney general’s office responded by saying: "The matter is still under review."