Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Sunday to immediately crack down on chareidi-run telephone hotlines that he claims are actively encouraging draft dodging. Speaking at a press conference, Lapid said those operating such services “should be treated as criminal offenders.”
When asked by The Times of Israel about a growing number of organizations—including one reportedly connected to Yerushalayim Affairs Minister Meir Porush—that offer guidance to chareidi individuals on how to evade military service, Lapid said that if the Attorney General fails to act, his Yesh Atid party will escalate the matter to the police.
According to Lapid, Yesh Atid MK Vladimir Beliak had already filed a formal inquiry on the issue in February, seeking clarity and enforcement from the Attorney General’s Office. “We expect swift and decisive action from the attorney general and the legal system,” Lapid declared. “Otherwise, Yesh Atid will file a complaint with the police. On the face of it, these are criminal offenses, and the people who commit them should be treated as criminal offenders.”
Following the High Court’s June 2024 ruling mandating the enlistment of chareidi yeshiva students, several chareidi-affiliated initiatives have emerged to help these individuals navigate the new legal landscape. Many of these initiatives, however, have explicitly encouraged non-compliance with IDF orders.
One such hotline operated under the direction of Porush reportedly tells callers to “just ignore” draft notices from the military. Another, operated by the Vaad HaYeshivos, has advised yeshiva students “not report [to the army] under any circumstances.”
Despite repeated calls from activists and legislators to investigate these operations, there has so far been little to no legal action. Under Israeli law, anyone who promotes draft evasion during wartime can face up to 15 years in prison.
Lapid’s comments came just days after Yisrael Beytenu, another opposition party known for its hardline stance on defense, called on the Attorney General to prosecute those who incite against military service. Their demand followed an incident in which radical demonstrators tried to physically block chareidi recruits from entering the IDF induction center at Tel Hashomer.
Speaking at the press conference, Lapid labeled draft evaders as “criminals” and insisted they should not be rewarded by the government. He promised that if his party returns to power, financial benefits would be withheld from anyone refusing to serve.
As the IDF prepares to expand its operations in Gaza, it has already called up tens of thousands of reservists. At the same time, Lapid said, tens of thousands of “young Chareidi men of draft age are currently evading conscription with the active encouragement of the Netanyahu government.”
“Why are they being called again? Because the IDF doesn’t have enough soldiers,” he added. Citing army data, Lapid noted that out of nearly 19,000 chareidi men issued draft notices in the latest conscription cycle, only 232 have actually joined.
“Almost 99 percent of the Chareidim who received an order did not enlist in the IDF. They evade because the government lets them. In the past year, the number of Chareidim who were detained for questioning because they did not report for enlistment was 340. How many of them are currently in custody? As far as we were able to tell, one,” Lapid said. He also accused the government of funneling billions of shekels to support individuals he called “draft dodgers.”
Military officials have said the IDF is currently short about 12,000 troops, including 7,000 combat soldiers. Since last summer, just over 1,800 chareidi men have enlisted—well below the army’s target of 4,800.
“This is the law. The law says that every young man in Israel must enlist, and anyone who doesn’t enlist is a criminal. Anyone who is a criminal shouldn’t receive a reward from the state. I’m announcing [that] the day we form the government, the principle will be simple: anyone who doesn’t enlist, won’t receive a single shekel from the State of Israel.”

{Matzav.com Israel}