MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) submitted a bill to guarantee religious conditions for detainees and prisoners in the military system, following cases that, he says, involved violations of the religious rights of haredi detainees.
The bill stipulates that every detainee or prisoner is entitled to appropriate conditions to maintain his religious way of life, and that he will not be prevented from observing the commandments of his religion or faith, and it obliges the Defense Minister to enact regulations that will ensure religious conditions comparable to those provided by the Israel Prison Service.
The law details basic conditions: provision of kosher food; allocation of adequate time and access to a designated prayer place; the right to possess and use personal religious articles; avoiding requiring the detainee to perform actions contrary to his religion; and providing the option to speak with a clergy member within 24 hours of the request.
The law will require the IDF to establish a dedicated division at the detention base for detainees and prisoners who declare they maintain a religious or faith-based lifestyle.
The proposal also includes an enforcement and oversight mechanism under the authority of the military court. If one of the detainee's religious rights was violated, the court is empowered to order appropriate remedies, including the possibility of reducing the period of detention or imprisonment.
The explanatory remarks to the bill state, "The purpose of this bill is to enshrine in primary legislation the fundamental rights that ensure the preservation of a religious way of life for detainees and prisoners in a military prison or a military detention camp. Today, there is a legislative gap that leaves the regulation of freedom of religion in the military detention facilities to command discretion and internal orders."
It also says, "While religious conditions are regulated in the civilian prison system (IPS), the situation in the military detention facilities is not the same. The need to amend this law has intensified in light of the accumulation of testimonies and serious complaints about infringements on the basic religious rights of haredi detainees in the army's detention facilities."
MK Porush said, "It would have been better if this bill had not been required. It is shocking that in the Land of Israel we are required to deal with the detention conditions of prisoners whose only transgression is that their souls yearn for the Torah. But alongside our struggle against the conscription law, I came to understand from my visits to detainees in the military prison the urgent need to guarantee the religious rights of the prisoners."