Israel Court Says Some Men Must Join the Army

Apr 26, 2026, 18:01
A2

Israel Court Says Some Men Must Join the Army

Introduction

A high court in Israel says some men must join the army. The government must now take money away from men who do not join.

Main Body

Some ultra-Orthodox men do not join the army. The court says this is wrong. Now, these men will not get cheap houses. They will not get help with money for children. They will not get cheap bus tickets. The army needs more people. There are many men who do not join. About 76,000 men are not in the army. Most of these men are ultra-Orthodox. The police did not arrest many of them before. Some people are happy about this. They say the law must be the same for everyone. Other people are sad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted these men to stay home. He wanted a different law.

Conclusion

The government must tell the court about the changes by June 1. Now, the law must happen.

Vocabulary Learning

army (n.)
military force of a country / soldiers who protect the country軍隊
Example:Many men are required to join the army.
court (n.)
place where legal cases are heard / a place where judges decide legal matters法院
Example:The court will decide the case tomorrow.
government (n.)
the group that runs a country / officials who make laws政府
Example:The government will announce new policies.
law (n.)
rule that governs behavior / legal rule法律
Example:The law must be the same for everyone.
money (n.)
currency used for buying goods or services / cash錢
Example:The government will take money from those who do not join.

Sentence Learning

The government must now take money away from men who do not join.
Time: The word 'now' indicates the present moment.時間: 『now』這個詞表示現在的時刻。
About 76,000 men are not in the army.
Quantifier: The word 'About' shows an approximate number.數量詞: 『About』這個詞表示數量大約。
The police did not arrest many of them before.
Preposition: 'before' shows the time before an event.介係詞: 'before' 這個詞表示在某個事件之前。
They will not get help with money for children.
Prepositional Phrase: Prepositional phrases show where or how something happens.介係詞短語: 介係詞短語表示某個動作發生的地方或方式。
B2

Israeli High Court Orders Removal of State Benefits for Haredi Draft Evaders

Introduction

The High Court of Justice in Israel has ordered the government to apply financial and criminal penalties against ultra-Orthodox men who avoid mandatory military service. The court stated that the government has failed to enforce existing laws regarding conscription.

Main Body

The court's order, issued on April 26, requires the state to create clear methods for removing public subsidies from those who evade the draft. For example, the Labor Ministry and the Israel Land Council must decide within 21 days how to link subsidized housing and childcare benefits to a person's military status. Additionally, other ministers have 35 days to decide on removing discounts for public transport and municipal taxes. The court emphasized that these actions are not intended as punishments, but rather as the withdrawal of benefits from people who have not met their legal duties. This decision follows previous rulings, including a June 2024 judgment which asserted that the government cannot ignore the Security Service Law. The current order was issued after the state failed to follow a November 2025 directive to create an enforcement policy. Although the government argued that the issue should be solved through new laws, the court rejected this claim, noting that previous legislative promises had not been kept. Furthermore, the court highlighted a serious manpower shortage in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the current conflict. Data shows that about 76,000 men of draft age are currently evaders, and roughly 80% of them are from the Haredi community. The court criticized the lack of enforcement, noting that very few evaders were arrested between January 2025 and January 2026. While groups like Israel Hofsheet claimed the decision is necessary for legal equality and national security, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to maintain exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community to keep his governing coalition stable. Critics describe these efforts as a way to allow 'draft dodging'.

Conclusion

The state must now provide an update on its progress to the court by June 1. This marks a shift from legal discussions to the actual enforcement of the draft law.

Vocabulary Learning

conscription (n.)
mandatory military service / required to serve in the army強制徵兵
Example:The conscription of young men increased the army's numbers during the conflict.
directive (n.)
an official instruction or order / 指令
Example:The government ignored the directive to enforce the law.
enforcement (n.)
the act of making sure rules are obeyed / 執行
Example:The new policy focuses on the enforcement of conscription.
evader (n.)
a person who avoids an obligation or duty / 避免者
Example:The court targeted the evaders who were refusing to enlist.
exemption (n.)
a permission to not follow a rule / 例外
Example:Netanyahu sought exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community.

Sentence Learning

The High Court of Justice in Israel has ordered the government to apply financial and criminal penalties against ultra-Orthodox men who avoid mandatory military service.
Relative Clause: This clause adds essential information about the men, specifying that they avoid mandatory military service.關係子句: 此子句為關於男子的必要資訊，說明他們避免強制徵兵。
The current order was issued after the state failed to follow a November 2025 directive to create an enforcement policy.
Passive Voice: The action (issuing the order) is performed by the court, but the subject (court) is not explicitly stated; the focus is on the order itself.被動語態: 句子重點在於命令本身，動作由法院發出，但主語未明確指出。
Although the government argued that the issue should be solved through new laws, the court rejected this claim, noting that previous legislative promises had not been kept.
Linking Word (Although): Introduces a contrast between the government's position and the court's rejection.連接詞（雖然）: 引入政府立場與法院否決之對比。
While groups like Israel Hofsheet claimed the decision is necessary for legal equality and national security, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to maintain exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community to keep his governing coalition stable.
Linking Word (While): Shows a contrast between the groups' claim and the Prime Minister's actions.連接詞（雖然）: 展示團體主張與總理行動之對比。
The court emphasized that these actions are not intended as punishments, but rather as the withdrawal of benefits from people who have not met their legal duties.
Contrastive Conjunction (But Rather): Highlights the difference between punishment and withdrawal of benefits.對比連接詞（但相反）: 強調懲罰與撤銷福利之差異。
C2

Israeli High Court Mandates Revocation of State Benefits for Haredi Draft Evaders

Introduction

The High Court of Justice in Israel has directed the state to implement financial and criminal sanctions against ultra-Orthodox men who evade mandatory military service, citing a failure by the government to enforce existing conscription laws.

Main Body

The judicial order, issued on April 26, requires the state to establish concrete mechanisms for the removal of public subsidies for draft evaders. Specifically, the court mandated that the Israel Land Council and the Labor Ministry determine within 21 days how to condition subsidized housing and childcare benefits on the regulation of an individual's military status. Furthermore, the ministers of transportation and finance, as well as the interior minister, have been granted 35 days to decide on the denial of public transportation and municipal tax discounts. The court clarified that these measures do not constitute punitive sanctions but rather the withdrawal of state benefits from individuals who have failed to fulfill a legal obligation. This ruling follows a series of prior judicial decisions, including a June 2024 judgment stating that the executive branch lacks the authority to ignore the Security Service Law in the absence of a lawful exemption framework. The current order resulted from contempt-of-court applications filed after the state failed to implement a November 2025 directive to develop an enforcement policy. The court noted that the government's previous attempt to address the issue via a ministerial team failed to produce the required recommendations. While the government argued that the matter should be resolved through new legislation, the court dismissed this position, noting a history of unfulfilled legislative promises. From a security and demographic perspective, the court framed its decision within the context of an ongoing manpower shortage in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during a period of active conflict. Data indicates that approximately 76,000 men of draft age are currently classified as evaders, with roughly 80% belonging to the Haredi community. The court expressed concern over the disparity between the scale of evasion and the level of enforcement; for instance, only 17 Haredi evaders were arrested through proactive military police operations between January 2025 and January 2026. The judiciary specifically criticized the police for not detaining evaders during routine encounters due to concerns over potential civil disorder. Stakeholder perspectives on the ruling are divided. Petitioners, including Israel Hofsheet and the Movement for Quality Government, characterized the decision as a necessary step to ensure legal equality and the fulfillment of national security needs. Conversely, the executive branch, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has historically sought to maintain exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community—which now comprises 14% of Jewish Israelis—to preserve the stability of the governing coalition. The Prime Minister has favored legislative alternatives that would allow Haredi men to continue avoiding service, a move critics describe as a 'draft dodging' mechanism.

Conclusion

The state must now provide an implementation update to the court by June 1, marking a transition from judicial declarations to mandatory operative enforcement of the draft law.

Vocabulary Learning

contempt (n.)
disdain / a strong feeling of contempt or disrespect蔑視
Example:The judge expressed contempt for the defendant's repeated excuses.
disparity (n.)
inequality / a marked difference between two things不平等
Example:The disparity in pay between genders remains a concern.
exemption (n.)
exclusion / a special permission to avoid a rule or duty免除
Example:She received an exemption from paying the tuition fee.
legislative (adj.)
law-making / pertaining to making laws立法的
Example:The legislative committee drafted a new bill.
manpower (n.)
human resources / the supply of people available for work人力
Example:The company faced a manpower shortage during the holiday season.

Sentence Learning

The High Court of Justice in Israel has directed the state to implement financial and criminal sanctions against ultra-Orthodox men who evade mandatory military service, citing a failure by the government to enforce existing conscription laws.
Participial Phrase: The phrase 'citing a failure by the government to enforce existing conscription laws' functions as an adverbial participial phrase, explaining the reason for the court's directive.分詞短語: 句中 'citing a failure by the government to enforce existing conscription laws' 作為分詞短語，說明法院指示的原因。
While the government argued that the matter should be resolved through new legislation, the court dismissed this position, noting a history of unfulfilled legislative promises.
Concessive Clause: The subordinate clause 'While the government argued that the matter should be resolved through new legislation' is a concessive clause, acknowledging the government's position before presenting the court's dismissal.讓步子句: 子句 'While the government argued that the matter should be resolved through new legislation' 作為讓步子句，先承認政府立場，隨後提出法院的否決。
The court clarified that these measures do not constitute punitive sanctions but rather the withdrawal of state benefits from individuals who have failed to fulfill a legal obligation.
Nominalization: The noun 'withdrawal' nominalizes the action of taking back benefits, turning the verb 'withdraw' into a noun, and 'failure to enforce' is also a nominalized form.名詞化: 名詞 'withdrawal' 將動詞 'withdraw' 名詞化，表示行為本身；同樣 'failure to enforce' 亦為名詞化形式。
Conversely, the executive branch, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has historically sought to maintain exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community—which now comprises 14% of Jewish Israelis—to preserve the stability of the governing coalition.
Parenthetical Clause: The clause '—which now comprises 14% of Jewish Israelis—' is inserted parenthetically using em dashes, providing supplementary information without disrupting the main clause.插入子句: 使用破折號插入的 'which now comprises 14% of Jewish Israelis' 作為插入語，補充說明而不破壞主句結構。
The state must now provide an implementation update to the court by June 1, marking a transition from judicial declarations to mandatory operative enforcement of the draft law.
Lexical Density: The sentence contains a high concentration of content words such as 'implementation', 'update', 'judicial', 'declarations', 'mandatory', and 'operative', demonstrating advanced lexical density.詞彙密度: 詞彙密度高，包含大量名詞、形容詞和複合短語，顯示高詞彙密度。