Exemption from military service in Israel

Per the law, an Israeli citizen who is drafted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) may be exempted if an evaluation finds them to meet specific criteria.

Grounds for exemptions are expatriate status, medical or psychological issues, conscientious objection,[4][5][6] and criminal record (subject to review).

Under a special arrangement (Torato Umanuto), male Haredi students who were issued a draft notice could be granted a total exemption from service so long as they remained enrolled at their yeshiva for religious studies.

In June 2024, Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Haredi Jews were eligible for compulsory service, ending nearly eight decades of exemption.

[9][10] According to 2007 IDF figures, the largest single group of young (Jewish) Israelis who avoided conscription consisted of women who claim exemptions on religious grounds.

[15] Section 94 of the Security Service Law describes another method of draft evasion: defecting from the military on the day of recruitment.

[20] The Israeli Equal Opportunities Act (חוק שוויון ההזדמנויות בעבודה) was revised in the mid 1990s[21] to prohibit employers from asking candidates about their military profile in the IDF.

In the years since the Equal Opportunities Act was revised, and despite the changes in the Israeli public regarding military service, there is still largely a negative attitude toward those who have not served in the IDF.

As an example, a substantial proportion of the employment ads in the newspapers state explicitly that only candidates who have carried out "full military service" will be considered for that position.

Subsequently, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel petitioned that the lack of exemption should result in enforcement of conscription of ultra-Orthodox Israelis.

[22] The ruling had caused officials in the ultra-Orthodox Shas party to urge potential conscripts in July 2024 to ignore any call-ups from the IDF and protests.