State cancels draft orders for thousands of haredim
Defense Minister Ya'alon decided to cancel summer recruit orders for haredim since new draft bill is yet to conclude legislative process. State claims haredi recruitment at this stage could risk legislation
The State informed the High Court of Justice on Tuesday that for fear of interim orders foiling attempts to reinstate haredi recruitment, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon decided to postpone draft orders for thousands of haredi yeshiva students this summer.
The State's response to the petitions filed by the Movement for Quality of Government, Hiddush Association for Religious Freedom and Equality and other organizations noted that many steps were taken in order to promote the draft bill, and in order to not damage the legislative process, Ya'alon decided to cancel the interim draft orders for haredi recruits.
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In its response, the State noted that the injunction that was filed as part of the petitions against Ya'alon's step should be rejected. The State indicated that this step is inconsistent with the formulated bill, and that it undermines the purpose of the law, and the discussed recruitment could weaken the government's efforts to instate haredi recruitment by law.
"In any case, it seems that postponing the (haredi) recruitment by a short period of four months alone will not make permanent damage, if any," the State declared. If was further added that the demand to recruit yeshiva students immediately is unreasonable due to the progress of legislative procedures, and due to the fact there is no need to recruit those yeshiva students right away as part of the legislative arrangement.
The State also affirmed that it was decided to postpone the date of recruitment in respect for the court, and in order to allow the court time to rule on the matter of interim orders.
The recruitment orders will be postponed by August 6 and all enlisting will be deferred for December. The State stressed that according to the bill, yeshiva students will not be required to join the army in the first four years of the law's establishment.
The State's response was given as part of a proceeding which joined several petitions to the High Court of Justice and after the expiration of the Tal Law. The petition filed by the Movement for Quality of Government and attorney Yehuda Ressler requested to recruit all yeshiva students.
Another petition filed by Hiddush, the Forum for the Promotion of Equal Share of the Burden, Israel Hofshit (Be Free Israeli) and former Knesset Member Ronny Brison requested to stop the funding of 54,000 yeshiva students due to the expiration of the Tal Law.
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