Israel's High Court directs gov't to justify delay in ultra-Orthodox IDF draft orders

The judges serving on Israel’s High Court of Justice issued an interim order this morning (Sunday) requiring the state to explain why it is not issuing recruitment orders for Haredim at a scale that matches the needs of the IDF, as defined periodically by the IDF's professional authorities.

According to the decision made today, the government must explain "why it is not issuing or continuing to issue recruitment orders for the candidates for military service mentioned in the petitions, in a manner that aligns with the needs of the army as defined from time to time by the IDF's professional authorities."

Additionally, the state must explain "why it is not taking effective enforcement measures against those who have been issued recruitment orders and have not complied with them."

According to the decision, the government is required to submit its response by June 24. The decision was signed by Justices Noam Solberg (Vice President), Dafna Barak-Erez, and David Mintz.

The Movement for Quality Government responded with approval of the High Court's decision, emphasizing the significance of the ruling.

"The movement welcomes the High Court's decision to issue an interim order," the response began. It further explained that this is a "significant step requiring the state to explain why it is not implementing the Supreme Court's rulings and the provisions of the law regarding the recruitment of yeshiva students."

This decision marked a pivotal moment after more than ten months of inaction. During that time, the state had avoided providing a substantive answer to the petition, failed to implement the previous High Court ruling, and continued with policies deemed discriminatory and harmful.

The Supreme Court’s intervention is a clear indication that the government can no longer evade accountability. The court is now "requiring the state to justify its omissions and explain why it is not acting to recruit yeshiva students at the scale required by the IDF" and why it is not enforcing previously issued orders.

The Movement for Quality Government reaffirmed its commitment to the cause: "We will continue to fight the persistent battle for equality in the draft and for the rule of law until all Israeli citizens share the burden of military service equally, as the law mandates and as the High Court has repeatedly ordered."