ByTZVI JASPER

Over 70 mayors and council leaders from across Israel filed a petition on Wednesday condemning the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft exemption bill.

"Studying Torah is an important value in the Jewish people, but no less important than that is the value of preserving and defending the land," the petition stated.

"Many of our residents are proving that it is possible to both study Torah and serve the state in the IDF and the security forces. The legislation that was approved in the last few days is a serious blow to national resilience and the cohesion of Israeli society. It should not have come into the world, and certainly not at this complex time, and in light of the challenges that the State of Israel is facing at this time and the challenges that we will be required to face in the future."

Among the petition's signatories were Idan Greenbaum, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council; Haim Bibas, mayor of Modi’in and chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities; Shay Hajaj, head of the Merhavim Regional Council and chairman of the Federation of Regional Councils;  and the mayors of several major cities, including Herzliya, Ramat Hasharon, Kfar Saba, and more.

Last week, the Knesset plenum passed the contentious bill to temporarily freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders, a measure expected to remain in effect for at least six months, with 58 lawmakers voting in favor and 54 against.

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest outside Military Prison near Kfar Yona, central Israel, against the jailing of seminary students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order, July 16, 2026.
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest outside Military Prison near Kfar Yona, central Israel, against the jailing of seminary students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order, July 16, 2026. (credit: Tal Gal/Flash90)

The passage of the bill in its final readings comes following severe legal warnings that the legislation is unbalanced and will not increase haredi enlistment amid the IDF’s severe manpower shortage, as well as outrage from bereaved families and reservists.

High Court freezes haredi draft law

The next day, the High Court of Justice temporarily froze the law, with Justice Ofer Grosskopf issuing a provisional order suspending the law’s entry into force until further notice.

Grosskopf also issued a conditional order requiring the Knesset and government to explain why the law should not be struck down.

Keshet Neev and Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.