Israel High Court freezes draft‑evader law amid religious and political dispute

Israel’s High Court of Justice issued a temporary injunction on Tuesday blocking the Enforcement Freeze Law that had halted arrests of ultra‑orthodox men who failed to report for military service. The nine‑justice panel, led by Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg, heard petitions from groups including the Be Free Israel movement, the Movement for Quality Government, and MKs Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman, who argued that the legislation violated the constitutional equality principle and was adopted without proper procedure. The government declined to defend the bill, and the Knesset’s legal adviser conceded that the law should be struck down.

During the hearings, charedi attorney Nosson Rosenblatt questioned Justice David Mintz on whether Torah law permits enlistment, sparking a heated debate over religious exemptions versus state obligations. The court’s interim order signals that a final ruling on the law’s legality is forthcoming, with implications for Israel’s military recruitment goals and the broader balance between religious communities and state law.