Defense Ministry backs 90-freeze on haredi draft evader arrests as Israel faces coalition crisis

Defense Minister Israel Katz has called for a temporary freeze on arrests targeting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who evade military service. Katz urged Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chair Boaz Bismuth to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the proposal, which would halt arrests for 90 days.

The government's stance, outlined by Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's discretion, suggests that arresting yeshiva students has counterproductively discouraged enlistment among Haredi men. Katz's response to Fuchs's letter indicated that the temporary freeze should include specific conditions, such as clearly defining who qualifies as a yeshiva student.

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The relevant authorities have launched a full investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

Knesset committee chair Boaz Bismuth agreed to convene the committee this week, stating that draft evader arrests "create the opposite effect from what is desired and keep young haredim away from service tracks." The proposal specifies that during the 90-day period, no arrests, investigations, or enforcement actions will be taken against individuals designated for security service who fail to report.

This initiative is part of a broader legislative push by the Haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. A particularly contentious bill seeks to establish Torah study as a fundamental right within Israel's Basic Laws. Haredi leaders, like MK Moshe Gafni, argue that Torah study has historically preserved the Jewish people and that the State of Israel should formally recognize its importance.

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Throughout the entire history of the Jewish people, it is the study of Torah that has preserved us. The time has come, even if long overdue, for the State of Israel, as a Jewish state, to grant Torah study its proper status and recognize it as a sup