Over 70 mayors and council leaders file petition against haredi draft exemption law

More than seventy mayors along with regional council heads submitted a formal petition on Wednesday opposing the new haredi draft exemption legislation.

"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."

Signatories included Idan Greenbaum of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, Haim Bibas as mayor of Modi'in and head of the Federation of Local Authorities, Shay Hajaj of the Merhavim Regional Council and chairman of the Federation of Regional Councils, plus mayors from Herzliya, Ramat Hasharon, Kfar Saba and additional cities.

Last week the Knesset approved the disputed measure that temporarily halts arrests of haredi draft evaders, a step set to last at least six months, passing with 58 votes in favor and 54 against.

Passage followed sharp legal cautions that the law lacks balance and will fail to boost haredi recruitment despite the IDF facing acute personnel shortages, along with strong criticism from bereaved families and reservists.

High Court freezes haredi draft law

The following day the High Court of Justice issued a temporary freeze on the law after Justice Ofer Grosskopf granted an interim order halting its implementation until further review.

Grosskopf also directed the Knesset and government to justify why the law should remain in force rather than being invalidated.

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