Exemption from military service in Israel

Male Haredi Jews who declared that Torah study is their profession were exempt from compulsory military service or served for a considerably shorter period until the law was changed in 2014.[1] Legislation on this has since changed in a way that has been contested by the High Court.[2]

Exemption from military service in Israel is covered by the Israeli Security Service Law, which regulates the process of Israeli military conscription. Per the law, an Israeli citizen who is drafted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) may be exempted if an evaluation finds them to meet specific criteria. The IDF's conscription laws only apply to three communities: the Jews, the Druze, and the Circassians.[3] Both men and women are drafted from the Jewish community, whereas only men are drafted from the Druze and Circassian communities.

Grounds for exemptions are expatriate status, medical or psychological issues, conscientious objection,[4][5][6] and criminal record (subject to review). Additionally, female Jewish draftees can be exempt due to marriage, pregnancy, motherhood, or religious commitments, including observing dietary and Sabbath travel laws, in accordance with §39 and §40 of the Security Service Law.

Under a special arrangement (Torato Umanuto), male Haredi students who were issued a draft notice could be granted a total exemption from service so long as they remained enrolled at their yeshiva for religious studies. In June 2024, Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Haredi Jews were eligible for compulsory service, ending nearly eight decades of exemption.[7] The army began drafting Haredi men the following month.[8]

Additionally, Arab citizens of Israel (who constitute about 21% of the Israeli population) are also exempted from military service. This exemption does not originate via Israeli statutory law, but is instead based on the guidelines of the IDF Human Resource Department, issued under the IDF's discretionary powers pursuant to the law.[3] As a result, Arab Muslims, Arab Christians, and Bedouins are not conscripted,[3] though all of them may still serve voluntarily. Among Israel's non-Druze and non-Circassian minorities, the Bedouin community has been notable for their voluntary contributions to service in the IDF.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Israel Ends Ultra-orthodox Military Service Exemptions". BBC News. 12 March 2014. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  2. ^ Kershner, Isabel (12 September 2017). "Israel's Military Exemption for Ultra-Orthodox Is Ruled Unconstitutional". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Levush, Ruth (30 December 2020) [November 2019]. "Israel: Military Draft Law and Enforcement". Law Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  4. ^ פירוט של הקושי בהשגת פטור מטעמי מצפון - מתוך דברי הסבר להצעת חוק שירות ביטחון (תיקון - פטור מטעמי מצפון), התשס"ו-2006 [Details of the difficulty in obtaining an exemption for reasons of conscience - from the explanatory notes in the Defense Service Law (Amendment - an exemption for reasons of conscience), 2006] (in Hebrew). 8 May 2006. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  5. ^ Felix Frisch (16 June 2003). צה"ל נתן פטור משירות לסרבן מצפון [IDF gave exemption from service to conscientious objector] (in Hebrew). Ynet. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  6. ^ Roy Cochavi (1 March 2004). סרבן שירות קיבל פטור מטעמי מצפון [conscientious objector received exemption from reasons of conscience] (in Hebrew). News1. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Israel's high court orders the army to draft ultra-Orthodox men, rattling Netanyahu's government". AP News. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  8. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (18 July 2024). "IDF to begin drafting 3,000 Haredi men starting Sunday, in three waves". Times of Israel.
  9. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (27 November 2022). "IDF Outreach in South Aims to Steer Young Bedouin Away From Crime". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  10. ^ i24 News; ILH Staff (6 January 2022). "Despite challenges, Bedouin soldiers 'proud to serve' in IDF". Israel Hayom. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)