Israeli Supreme Court orders sanctions against draft evaders

The Supreme Court of Israel has ruled that the government must impose criminal and economic sanctions on individuals who evade military conscription, criticising authorities for failing to implement a previous decision on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews. In its ruling issued on Sunday, the court said the government had not acted on an earlier judgement “based on clear and unequivocal legal texts”, stressing the need for immediate executive measures to enforce the decision. Judges instructed the government to report back on implementation by the beginning of June. The court detailed a series of penalties for draft evaders, including the loss of benefits such as housing purchase exemptions, state subsidies for nurseries and kindergartens, and discounts on public transport and municipal taxes. Judges […]