Army fails to collect documents (archives)
צילום: דובר צה"ל
Military judge slams IDF's handling of draft dodgers
Court hearing reveals army fails to collect documents, present sufficient evidence on Israelis evading military service
The president of the Jaffa Military Court, Colonel Avi Levy, has announced that he would not accept a plea to arrest a young man suspected of dodging the draft for two years, as the IDF failed to present any documentation proving the offense.
Levy launched an unprecedented attack on the army's handling of the draft dodging phenomena, saying that "the practice adopted by the different enlistment elements in terms of handling draft dodgers contradicts basic laws."
The judge also recommended a series of actions to be implemented by senior military officials.
Colonel Levy's decision caused a great deal of embarrassment in the IDF. His harsh criticism revealed that the army does not have an organized system responsible for collecting the information on the draft dodgers from recruiting offices and handing it over to the Military Prosecution in order to file indictments.
Judge Levy noted that the draft dodging phenomenon must be condemned and that that a hard line must be taken against those who evade military service. However, he said, the process must be carried out "in legal ways which fit in with the State's values as a democratic state, in ways which defend human rights from disproportional damage."
According to Colonel Levy, the process in which the army collects details on the draft dodger is carried out too slowly, leading to the release of the suspected draft dodgers.
"I believe that holding a person in custody without an investigation contradicts the basic principles of our judicial system," the judge ruled.
