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Israel Court Extends Freeze on Ultra-Orthodox Draft-Dodger Law

7/29/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Israel's High Court of Justice on Tuesday extended the freeze on the July 14 law barring arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers.
Justice Ofer Grosskopf issued the initial freeze on July 15 after five petitions, including those by Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara asked the court to strike the law, calling it a “group immunity mechanism” that removes penalties while keeping the enlistment duty.

History

Historical Context

After the 1999-2002 Tal Law granted deferments to roughly 41,500 yeshiva students, the Israeli High Court declared the law unconstitutional on 21 February 2012, forcing the Knesset to seek new legislation. The dispute resurfaced in July 2024 when Justice Ofer Grosskopf froze a draft amendment—pushed by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and opposed by Yair Lapid—mirroring the earlier court-driven push for a balanced conscription framework.

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Story summary

Israel's High Court of Justice on Tuesday extended the freeze on the July 14 law barring arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers.
Justice Ofer Grosskopf issued the initial freeze on July 15 after five petitions, including those by Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara asked the court to strike the law, calling it a “group immunity mechanism” that removes penalties while keeping the enlistment duty.

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