U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) sent a letter in September urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt planned travel restrictions on yeshiva students with dual U.S.–Israeli citizenship who do not serve in the military.
Lawler opened the letter by expressing “profound respect” for Netanyahu’s leadership and said the issue affects American citizens who also hold Israeli passports. He noted that Israel’s attorney general had ordered sanctions on yeshiva students who do not enlist, including restrictions preventing dual citizens from leaving the country.
In the letter, Lawler asked Netanyahu to ensure those Americans can travel freely. He wrote that “immediate steps” were needed to lift the restrictions and said dual nationals should have the ability to visit and return to the United States if they choose.
He ended the letter by thanking Netanyahu for addressing what he called an urgent matter.
The letter was sent in coordination with Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism, a longtime opponent of drafting yeshiva students. Porush welcomed the intervention, calling the sanctions “absurd” and saying his party is escalating efforts to block measures targeting full-time Torah students.
Sources close to Porush said the outreach to U.S. lawmakers reflects growing pressure on the Haredi community, with tens of thousands of students at risk of possible arrest under expanded enforcement of draft laws.