State will halt funding for at-risk haredi yeshivot with students who don't draft
The State of Israel will stop funding ultra-Orthodox (haredi) yeshivot designated specifically for at-risk youth that don't draft to the IDF, a Supreme Court ruling handed down on Monday revealed.
The hearing was on a petition filed by NGO Israel Hofsheet against the funding itself. The petition came following a previous High Court of Justice ruling forbidding the state from funding yeshivot that didn't settle their status with the IDF.
The so-called 'dropout yeshivot' are the Noham institutions for disengaged haredi youth. Starting from the upcoming school year - in September, funding will be discontinued for students in these yeshivot who have not resolved their status with the military.
The petition notes that many of these students are not studying Torah in a consistent manner, and often work off-the-books - in violation of the conditions for military exemption. Some NIS 35m. has been allocated by the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry to these institutions.
'This ruling constitutes another significant affirmation of the principle established in the Supreme Court's ruling on the draft exemption: once the legal framework for exemption collapses, the state loses its legal basis for supporting activities tied to military deferment, including yeshivas that enable and facilitate the violation of the law,' said Israel Hofsheet.
Earlier this month, the IDF began to summon all 54,000 remaining eligible haredim for IDF service. It was the largest-ever coordinated mass pursuit of the sector, and is scheduled to actualize the recruitment
24,000 haredim have already been summoned
Over the past year, 24,000 haredim have already been summoned, though only a miniscule number actually showed up.
All this comes against the backdrop of the weariness and mental, emotional and psychological challenges faced by soldiers and reservists who have been continually serving in the IDF since 2023. The issue of suicides related to these challenges has recently reached alarming heights.
'We will continue to do what the government refuses to do - put a complete stop to government subsidies for draft evasion, down to the last shekel. It's time for equality,' said Israel Hofsheet executive director Uri Keidar.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
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