The Council of Torah Sages of the Shas party sent a letter to the High Court of Justice on Tuesday, rejecting the court's authority to rule on the draft exemption for yeshiva students, according to Eli Hirshman, Channel 12's Haredi affairs correspondent. The letter accuses the court of being 'based entirely on distortion of the law and blatant discrimination' and describes the push to conscript yeshiva students as a 'coercion campaign of apostasy.' The rabbis argue that the true burden of national security is borne by Torah scholars, not by soldiers, and warn that harming yeshiva students 'directly harms national security.'
The Shas Council of Torah Sages today sent a letter to the High Court of Justice rejecting the court's authority to rule on the draft exemption for yeshiva students and describing the push to conscript them as a "coercion campaign of apostasy." The letter escalates the confrontation between the Haredi political establishment and the judiciary, which has been unfolding over the past hour.
The Zioneer has been tracking this story since it broke at 16:12 Jerusalem. Initial reports from N12's Haredi affairs correspondent Eli Hirshman indicated Shas would not send a government attorney to defend the "deserters law" before the High Court, and instead forwarded a letter from the Council of Torah Sages written by Rabbi Moshe Maya. Shortly after, i24NEWS reported that the letter declares conscription of yeshiva students forbidden by Jewish law (halakha) and states the council does not recognize the court's authority. Subsequent reporting from N12 added that the letter asserts IDF battlefield victories are achieved thanks to yeshiva students' Torah study. The latest details, also from Hirshman, reveal the letter's characterization of the draft as a "coercion campaign of apostasy" and accuses the High Court of basing its decisions on "distortion of the law and blatant discrimination."
The letter comes a week after the Knesset passed Basic Law: Torah Study, which enshrines the right to Torah study as a constitutional value, as The Zioneer reported on July 13. The Shas council's direct challenge to the High Court's authority reflects a deepening rift over conscription, which has seen ongoing protests and arrests of yeshiva students refusing enlistment, as documented by Hirshman's reporting.
The High Court has not yet responded to the letter. It remains unclear whether the court will accept the challenge to its authority or proceed with hearings on the draft exemption.
3 developments
- DevelopingHigh Court rules yeshivas with draft evaders ineligible for tax benefits
- DevelopingShas submits Basic Law: Torah Study; Bennett attacks 'draft dodging on steroids'
- DevelopingState urges High Court to strip tax benefits from yeshivas housing draft dodgers — analysis reveals 430M shekel annual savings
- DevelopingHaredi journalist: Delinquent youths attack Rekhasim yeshiva, students fear police over draft status
Source and signal
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