Overview
- Official data shows about 71,000 designated draftees failed to report by January, with roughly 80% from the chareidi sector.
- The attorney general’s submission cited a jump in chareidi non-reporting from 2,257 in July 2025 to 15,085 in January 2026, filed ahead of contempt petitions set for March 1.
- Military officials said Israel Police generally do not authorize Military Police operations in chareidi neighborhoods, and detainees identified as evaders are often released with a summons.
- Police representatives attributed limits on action to severe manpower shortages and risks of serious disturbances, saying six additional Border Police companies would be needed for effective enforcement.
- The IDF lowered the criminal-prosecution threshold for draft evasion to 365 days absent and increased maximum disciplinary detention to 35 days, as the attorney general directed a Finance Ministry review of economic levers including accounting separation in yeshivos.