A Bnei Brak resident petitioned Israel’s Attorney General to strip Arab youth of benefits for not serving in the IDF, but the request was dismissed as legally baseless.
A highly unusual petition has been submitted to the office of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, demanding punitive measures against Arab citizens of draft age who do not serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The Bnei Brak petitioner urged the state to cut off financial support for higher education and revoke recognition of academic degrees earned abroad during the years Arab citizens would otherwise be eligible for conscription.
The argument centered on claims of discrimination, with the petitioner insisting that while haredi draft dodgers face arrest and restrictions, the Arab population receives leniency despite also not serving.
But in an official reply, attorney Hadil Younis, on behalf of Baharav-Miara, drew a clear legal distinction:
“According to current law, members of the Arab population are not called to military service; therefore, there is a relevant difference between this group and the haredi community, who are called upon for security service. It is therefore unclear why sanctions should be imposed on those who were never called up and did not violate any obligation.”
She stressed that while haredi youth fall under compulsory draft law and can be considered evaders, Arab citizens are not legally obligated to enlist and thus cannot be sanctioned for non-service.
The petition highlights ongoing friction over Israel’s draft exemptions, a long-running controversy that pits security needs and equality arguments against longstanding political and social arrangements with both Arab and haredi communities.
