The Supreme Court published a ruling on Wednesday, ordering the government to formulate an "effective enforcement policy" against haredi draft evaders, which would include a plan for significant criminal enforcement measures along with complementary economic-civil actions.
According to the order, which the judges unanimously agreed on, the court obligates the government to formulate criminal enforcement measures to enforce the conscription law, in addition to economic and civilian sanctions, such as denying benefits, including subsidies.
The court criticized the state authorities: "The authorities' conduct is not far from total renunciation of enforcing the haredi public's obligation to enlist." The order states that the state must "act with due diligence and as fast as possible to enact significant criminal proceedings against those from the haredi public who were deemed to be draft evaders."
The ruling further stated: “If the policy that is set allows for the creation of bypass funding channels, it cannot be considered effective and, consequently, cannot be seen as meeting the required conditions.” In addition, it emphasized: “It is not permissible to continue granting benefits given directly or indirectly in connection with evasion of the draft, for example, those granted to a yeshiva student as such, when his presence in the yeshiva effectively constitutes draft evasion.”