The Israel Tax Authority has sent letters to dozens of Haredi yeshivas where draft-dodging students study, informing them they will not be eligible for tax exemption on donations, according to Israeli media reports. The Authority also demands that yeshivas seeking the exemption commit to having no draft-dodgers and submit a full student roster.
The Israel Tax Authority sent letters to dozens of Haredi yeshivas on Saturday evening, demanding they certify they have no draft-dodging students and submit full student rosters to retain their Section 46 tax-exempt donation status, according to Israeli media reports. The move, reported at 21:31 Jerusalem, is the latest escalation in a months-long campaign to pressure yeshivas over draft evasion.
The Zioneer first reported on the Tax Authority’s intentions on June 24, when it revealed the Authority would demand declarations from yeshivas. The following day, June 25, the state filed its position with the High Court backing a petition to strip the tax benefit, and an analysis by the Israel Hofshit movement showed revoking the exemption could save the state approximately 430 million shekels annually. On Saturday at 21:09 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published a series of updates: initial notification to yeshivas, detailed demands including student ID lists, clarification that indirect funding via tax credits is also prohibited, and identification of Tax Authority official Yuval Shadeh as the source of the statement. The letters sent Saturday evening mark the implementation of those demands.
As The Zioneer reported on June 16, hundreds of students at Jerusalem’s Mir Yeshiva received legal guidance ahead of possible military arrest, as the IDF continues draft enforcement. A subsequent report on June 28 detailed a new Haredi initiative offering financial incentives to draft dodgers. The government faces ongoing coalition tensions over the draft law, which remains unresolved.
It remains unclear how many yeshivas have received the letters, whether all will comply, and what the timeline for enforcement will be. No yeshiva has publicly responded to the demands as of Saturday evening.
5 developments
- DevelopingTax Authority to demand yeshivas declare draft-dodging students or lose tax breaks
- DevelopingState urges High Court to strip tax benefits from yeshivas housing draft dodgers — analysis reveals 430M shekel annual savings
- StrongNew Haredi initiative offers incentives for draft dodgers, sparking controversy
- DevelopingAttorney General tells High Court: Education Ministry must prepare to cut daycare subsidies for yeshiva families of draft-dodgers
Source and signal
- Internal intake