New Draft Law on IDF Conscription Introduces Sweeping Sanctions, Four-Year Expiry Clause

A newly finalized draft of Israel’s conscription law includes strict personal and institutional sanctions for yeshiva students who do not enlist, alongside a mechanism that could lead to the law’s automatic expiration within four years if recruitment targets are not met, Matzav.com has learned.

The proposal, formulated late Wednesday night, sets the draft age for chareidi yeshiva students at 18–26. The government has committed to existing enlistment targets: 4,800 in the first year, 5,700 in the second year, and 50% of the annual draft cohort within five years. The law is officially defined as a temporary measure for six years, but if the state fails to consistently meet annual targets within four years, the law will automatically expire. If benchmarks are met, the law would be extended by one year at a time.

Immediate Personal Sanctions

Starting in the first year of implementation, yeshiva students who do not enlist will face individual penalties, regardless of whether the state meets its draft quotas. These include:

• Travel restrictions for unmarried men (exceptions via a special committee)

• Ineligibility for a driver’s license

• Loss of income tax credit points for employed students under 26

• Ineligibility for subsidized academic studies

After six months, if the annual target is missed, benefits for the second half of the year—such as discounts for daycares and public transportation—will not be granted.

Should the state miss its targets for the first two years, additional sanctions will be imposed:

• Termination of daycare subsidies

• Ineligibility for discounted housing programs

• Cancellation of National Insurance benefits

• Removal of discounts on public transit

• Elimination of subsidies for housing in Israel’s periphery

By the third year, if targets are still not met, first-home purchase tax subsidies and after-school program funding will also be revoked. If goals are missed by year four, the law will automatically expire.

Budget Penalties for Yeshivos

Simultaneously, financial penalties will be imposed on yeshivos. If a yeshiva reaches 95% of the target, no budget cuts will occur. Meeting between 75% and 95% of the quota will result in budget reductions of up to 50%, depending on how far off the mark they are. Institutions that meet less than 75% of their quota will lose all state funding.

Resetting Draft Status

Once the law goes into effect, all yeshiva students between the ages of 18 and 26 will be returned to the national draft registry and will need to reapply for exemption or deferment. Even those currently classified as deserters will receive temporary yeshiva student status for the purpose of the new system.

Oversight Committees and Review Mechanisms

If recruitment goals are missed for three consecutive years, a special public committee will be established to investigate the failures and propose reforms, which may include legislative changes.

Additionally, a professional committee will be formed to evaluate alternative chareidi service tracks. This body will determine whether these tracks meet IDF criteria and may recommend easing certain sanctions in cases where minimal requirements are not met.

Chareidi political leaders expressed cautious optimism. “This is not an easy law for the chareidi public,” one senior official said, “but it’s better than the current situation.” They estimate that within 10 to 14 days, if agreements remain intact, the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will resume deliberations and begin voting on the bill.

{Matzav.com Israel}