Rain Arfon, Moliv Vicente, Mariel Aya Ay and John Ray Dalisay are still waiting to receive their military draft notices. The four 20-year-olds finished high school some time ago, but unlike their former classmates, they know that their draft notices, if they ever arrive, will come only after a prolonged struggle.
Born in Israel to parents who arrived from the Philippines as migrant workers, the young men and women petitioned Israel's Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, late last year alongside approximately 40 others in similar circumstances. They had one request: to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.
Last month, the state finally presented its position in response to the petition, but it offered little hope. According to the State Attorney's Office, whose position also reflects those of the Defense Ministry and the Population and Immigration Authority, the matter must be decided by the country's political leadership. That means waiting until a new government is formed.
"At this time, given the election period we are in, the sensitivity of the issue and the absence of a serving interior minister, it is appropriate for the matter to be brought before senior policymakers only after a new government is formed," the state wrote in its response to the petition.
"These are individuals residing in Israel illegally who are not entitled to any legal status in the country and who seek to enlist in the IDF without first having their civil status in Israel regularized."
Last month, John Ray and Moliv expressed their fears of another postponement in an interview on the "Behind the Uniform" podcast.
"It's really close to the elections. We don't know what will happen by then. We just hope they'll address our situation," Moliv said, referring to the proximity of the deadline for the state's response to Election Day.
The repeated delays have become particularly painful amid the war and the severe shortage of combat troops on the front lines.
Mariel Aya Ay, Moliv Vicente and Rain Arfon
(Photo: Kobi Kuenkas)
"In these months, we could already have completed basic training and moved forward, taken part in something," John Ray said in frustration. "Right now, we're just waiting, and it's a waste of time. There are enough people in our situation to form an entire company."
At the same time, Ray stressed that despite the prolonged wait, his motivation to serve remains strong.
"I don't know why it keeps getting postponed, but people shouldn't think that because we've been rejected so many times, we're losing our spirit," he said. "On the contrary, every postponement gives me more determination, strength and motivation to keep fighting for this goal.
"I know that ultimately I have to fulfill my dream of enlisting in the military. It's important. We're three years into the war, we're dealing with a shortage of soldiers and reservists are being called up for endless rounds of duty."
Speaking to ynet and its parent newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, John Ray expressed further frustration over the state's response.
"It's a waste of time. It's simply frustrating," he said. "By the time a government is formed and starts functioning, a great deal more time will have passed.
"Our enlistment is highly relevant to the current situation. I had hoped to enlist back in March.
"It feels like they're passing the responsibility to someone else, as though nobody wants to deal with the issue, so they're dumping it on the next government while time keeps passing.
"It's hard for me to understand. In our case, both sides stand to benefit, and the decision to postpone the response yet again is frustrating. We were afraid of another delay, but we hoped it wouldn't happen."
In previous years, young people born in Israel to migrant worker parents were granted legal status under various government decisions. However, those born in Israel approximately 20 years ago were not given the same opportunity to obtain citizenship or regularize their residency status.
As a result, young men and women who graduated from Israeli high schools in recent years have been left living in the country without recognized legal status or a clear future.
Throughout the outgoing government's term, these young people repeatedly tried to resolve their status in Israel, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Those failures led to the current petition, filed by attorneys Zari Hazan, Meital Lupolianski and Dror Strum on behalf of 43 young men and women.
This time, the petitioners chose to approach the Defense Ministry rather than the Interior Ministry.
Their legal argument rests primarily on a provision of the Defense Service Law that they contend authorizes military recruitment regardless of citizenship. The law refers to those eligible for service as including "permanent residents and persons ordinarily residing" in Israel.
However, the state's response makes clear that under current IDF recruitment policy, people whose legal status in Israel has not been regularized are excluded from military service. Recruitment is limited to Israeli citizens and permanent residents with officially recognized status.