Over 70 mayors, council leaders file petition against haredi draft exemption law

More than 70 mayors and council leaders from across Israel have filed a petition condemning the recently approved haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft exemption bill. The signatories argue that while studying Torah is a vital value, it should not supersede the importance of national defense.

The petition states, "Many of our residents are proving that it is possible to both study Torah and serve the state in the IDF and the security forces." The leaders contend that the legislation represents a "serious blow to national resilience and the cohesion of Israeli society," particularly given the current complex challenges facing the State of Israel.

Signatories include prominent figures such as Idan Greenbaum, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council; Haim Bibas, mayor of Modi’in and chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities; and Shay Hajaj, head of the Merhavim Regional Council. Mayors from major cities like Herzliya, Ramat Hasharon, and Kfar Saba also signed the petition.

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Studying Torah is an important value in the Jewish people, but no less important than that is the value of preserving and defending the land.

The Knesset plenum passed the bill to temporarily freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders by a vote of 58 to 54. This measure is expected to last at least six months. The bill's passage followed severe legal warnings about its imbalance and potential ineffectiveness in increasing haredi enlistment, amid a significant manpower shortage in the IDF and public outrage from bereaved families and reservists.

Adding to the legal challenges, the High Court of Justice has temporarily frozen the law. Justice Ofer Grosskopf issued a provisional order suspending the law's implementation until further notice. He also requested that the Knesset and government explain why the law should not be permanently struck down.

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Many of our residents are proving that it is possible to both study Torah and serve the state in the IDF and the security forces. The legislation that was approved in the last few days is a serious blow to national resilience and the cohesion of Israeli society. It should not have come into the world, and certainly not at this complex time, and in light of the challenges that the State of Israel is facing at this time and the challenges that we will be required to face in the future.