AG: Over 67,000 Haredi men are dodging draft, High Court must weigh more sanctions

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara told the High Court that 67,230 ultra-Orthodox men are currently defined as draft dodgers, out of 110,000 total. She noted a 65% increase in Haredi enlistment but said enforcement is insufficient and urged the court to consider revoking state benefits for non-compliant individuals.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara updated the High Court of Justice on Wednesday, stating that 67,230 ultra-Orthodox men are currently defined as draft dodgers or have refused to report to IDF enlistment offices. Out of a total of 110,000 draft dodgers, another 21% are also from the ultra-Orthodox community, though the update did not explain why they were not included in the first group. Another 19% are from the non-Haredi public. The figures cover the period up to September 8. Baharav-Miara noted that 4,298 Haredi men enlisted in the 2025 enlistment year, a 65% increase from the previous year, attributed to expanded IDF tracks and enforcement. However, she said this is far from meeting the army's manpower needs and urged the court to consider ordering the revocation of state benefits for those who fail to enlist. The update follows the arrest of 42 ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers at Ben Gurion Airport, which Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned as a deliberate attempt to harm the drafting process. The High Court has previously ruled that blanket exemptions for yeshiva students have no legal basis.