MK Porush Submits Bills to Freeze Yeshiva Arrests and Regulate Draft
MK Meir Porush and MK Elyakim Stark submitted bills in the 26th Knesset to regulate yeshiva student draft deferments and halt criminal enforcement and arrests.
With the convening of the 26th Knesset, Member of Knesset Meir Porush, alongside MK Elyakim Stark, has submitted two legislative bills aimed at regulating yeshiva student draft deferments and halting enforcement actions against them.
The primary bill proposes granting service deferments to yeshiva students studying at least 45 hours a week or kollel scholars studying 40 hours weekly. The deferment would be granted for up to one year at a time and could be renewed until the age of 26, at which point full exemption from regular military service would be awarded.
Halting Legal Proceedings
A significant clause in the proposal addresses yeshiva students who did not report for service following the expiration of previous arrangements. According to the proposed transitional provisions, students who meet the study conditions will not be prosecuted for failing to report.
If legal proceedings have already been initiated, or a court ruling issued, the proceedings and the enforcement of the ruling will be suspended. Additionally, the proposal allows students to request draft deferments even if they missed registration procedures during periods without a valid legal arrangement.
One-Year Arrest Freeze
Simultaneously, Porush and Stark submitted a secondary bill known as the "Arrest Freeze Law," designed as a one-time temporary order valid for one year. The measure aims to immediately halt arrest, investigation, and criminal enforcement proceedings against yeshiva students who failed to report for service, provided they meet specific study criteria.
According to the text, the freeze applies to students whose reporting deadline fell from July 1, 2023, onward, provided they declare they study at least 45 weekly hours in a yeshiva or 40 hours in a kollel and hold no secondary employment.
Explanatory notes accompanying the bills state they are submitted against the backdrop of a "Jewish and social emergency hour," aiming to address internal societal tensions. Porush's office emphasized that submitting these bills prioritizes the protection of Torah scholars at the start of the parliamentary term.
