Israeli Opposition Calls for Criminal Investigation Into Agudat Yisrael Over Alleged Draft Evasion Scheme

Israeli Opposition Calls for Criminal Investigation Into Agudat Yisrael Over Alleged Draft Evasion Scheme

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Yesh Atid MK Vladimir Beliak has called on Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to open a criminal investigation into officials from the hassidic Agudat Yisrael party over their alleged attempts to circumvent upcoming financial sanctions against ultra-Orthodox (haredi) draft dodgers, as was reported on Sunday in The Jerusalem Post. The sanctions, set to take effect on March 1, would revoke state-subsidized daycare benefits for yeshiva students who are eligible for military service but have not enlisted.

According to the information provided in The JPost report, yeshiva students whose wives work are currently eligible for government-subsidized daycare for children under three. However, once the new regulations take effect at the end of February, draft-eligible students who refuse to enlist will lose this benefit, a financial penalty that could cost haredi families hundreds or even thousands of shekels per month. In response, The JPost report revealed that recordings published by Ynet last week captured Agudat Yisrael officials advising yeshiva students to open fictitious small businesses, a loophole that would allow them to continue receiving the subsidy for an additional six months.

While this tactic is technically legal, Beliak has argued that it constitutes a deliberate effort to undermine the sanctions and could amount to criminal fraud and breach of trust. As the report in The JPost detailed, Beliak, who coordinates opposition activity in the Knesset Finance Committee, vowed to leverage all available parliamentary tools to ensure proper oversight of the issue. His demand for legal intervention underscores the growing political and societal tensions over military service exemptions for haredi yeshiva students, a longstanding point of contention in Israeli politics.

Beyond Beliak’s request for an investigation, The JPost reported that Finance Ministry Budget Department head Yoav Gardos outlined the key conditions necessary for the sanctions to be effective. In a letter to Adv. Miri Frenkel-Shor, the legal adviser to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC), Gardos outlined four principles that he deemed essential for the success of the sanctions.

First, Gardos warned against implementing a “cutoff age” after which haredi men would be exempt from military service, according to The JPost report. He argued that such a policy incentivizes yeshiva students to remain out of the workforce and in religious studies until they reach that age, effectively defeating the purpose of the draft sanctions.

Second, The JPost report noted that Gardos emphasized the importance of linking the sanction directly to an individual’s decision to enlist or evade service. If the financial penalties apply broadly to all potential haredi draftees or even to an entire yeshiva, students may feel no personal responsibility and, as a result, may not change their behavior.

The third condition, as was reported by The JPost, is that the sanctions must be applied immediately. Any adaptation period, Gardos warned, would likely encourage haredim to wait and see whether an alternative exemption or legal loophole emerges, thus negating the intended effect of the sanctions.

Finally, The JPost outlined Gardos’ argument that the law must ensure that the financial penalties are not counteracted by alternative government benefits granted to the haredi sector. If the loss of daycare subsidies is offset by other forms of aid, the sanctions will be rendered ineffective and fail to encourage enlistment, Gardos stated.

The debate over haredi military exemptions is one of the most divisive issues in Israeli society, with secular and religious political factions deeply entrenched on either side. The exposure of Agudat Yisrael’s alleged scheme to bypass the draft-related penalties adds further fuel to an already volatile political landscape. Whether the Attorney-General pursues a formal investigation remains to be seen, but as The JPost report made clear, the opposition, led by figures like Beliak, is determined to push for greater accountability.

With the March 1 deadline approaching, The JPost reported that further discussions within the Knesset and the Finance Ministry are expected, as lawmakers grapple with the challenge of enforcing military service requirements while balancing the political influence of the ultra-Orthodox parties. The outcome of this battle will not only shape Israel’s approach to military conscription but could also have long-term implications for the country’s social and political fabric.