The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will open three days of discussions next week on the new Draft Law, the text of which was published today by the committee chairman, MK Boaz Bismuth.
The Draft Law aims to regulate the military and civilian service status of yeshiva students and graduates of haredi educational institutions. It establishes a binding annual enlistment quota system, including financial and personal sanctions in cases of failure to meet required targets. At the same time, the law guarantees the preservation of the haredi way of life during service.
According to the proposed legislation, the enlistment targets begin with 6,160 recruits in the first year, rising to 6,840 and 7,920 in the following years. In the fifth year, the requirement reaches half of the annual haredi draft cohort. Afterward, the annual target will be set by the Minister of Defense with approval from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
If the targets are not met, state funding for yeshivot attended by students who received service deferments will be reduced. These cuts may gradually reach as much as 80%, leaving only 20% of the original support.
A yeshiva student who fails to report for service and does not receive an exemption will face personal sanctions, including suspension of a driver’s license, ineligibility for scholarships, restrictions on leaving the country, and loss of housing benefits.
The law also determines that if enlistment targets are not met for three consecutive draft cycles, the law will automatically expire within one year. In such a scenario, the Minister of Defense must establish a committee to examine the failures and propose new legislative amendments.
The IDF will be required to establish service tracks tailored specifically to the lifestyle of Haredi-sector recruits. In addition, an advisory committee will be formed to evaluate the law’s implementation and report to the Knesset and the security establishment every six months.