Story perspectives

Knesset Grants Draft Evaders 90-Day Immunity, Opposition Vows Repeal

7/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Knesset passed a law granting a 90-day immunity from arrest to ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, making the measure official.
Legal advisers warned the legislation breaches equality before the law and involves an improper legislative process.
Opposition leaders Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman condemned the law and pledged to repeal it after the October 27 elections.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel resigned, saying the law endangers Israel’s security during wartime.

History

Historical Context

In 1992 the Knesset passed legislation that provided exemptions for many ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service, a move championed by Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and contested by the Israeli Supreme Court. Decades of legal challenges and public debate over equality have kept the issue alive, and the latest 90-day immunity decision revives those tensions.

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Story summary

The Knesset passed a law granting a 90-day immunity from arrest to ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, making the measure official.
Legal advisers warned the legislation breaches equality before the law and involves an improper legislative process.
Opposition leaders Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman condemned the law and pledged to repeal it after the October 27 elections.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel resigned, saying the law endangers Israel’s security during wartime.

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