The Israeli government’s campaign of economic measures targeting draft-eligible yeshiva students is intensifying, with Israeli Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon pressing ahead with efforts to revoke municipal property tax discounts from young chareidi couples whose husbands do not serve in the military.

In a sharply worded letter sent this week to Interior Ministry Director-General Israel Ozen, Limon rejected the ministry’s refusal to advance regulatory changes that would allow local authorities to deny arnona discounts to households headed by men classified as eligible for military service.

Limon argued that the Interior Ministry’s position conflicts with directives issued by Israel’s Supreme Court and instructed officials to continue promoting the measure without delay. The dispute stems from a ruling by Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg requiring the ministry to determine how it would address the issue of municipal tax discounts for those subject to military draft obligations.

Last Thursday, the Interior Ministry informed officials that it did not intend to pursue the proposed sanction, citing several concerns. Among them were fears that the measure could undermine the financial stability of local governments, push vulnerable families deeper into poverty, and create legal and practical difficulties for municipalities being asked to enforce military service policy.

Limon dismissed those arguments, insisting that both the courts and government professionals have identified the loss of arnona benefits as an effective mechanism for encouraging military service.

“The arguments regarding harm to weaker populations and local authorities do not constitute sufficient justification,” Limon wrote. “We will not be able to defend this position legally.”

Addressing concerns about the financial impact on affected households, Limon acknowledged that eliminating the discounts could significantly burden many families but maintained that the measure was specifically chosen because of its effectiveness.

“Revoking an arnona discount may be economically significant for many households, and for that reason it was identified as an effective step to encourage those obligated to serve. If consequences materialize, government authorities can be expected to formulate appropriate responses.”

Limon also pointed to what he described as a procedural issue, noting that the matter had not been presented to the appropriate ministerial authority. He wrote that because Israel has been without a serving interior minister for approximately ten months, the relevant powers should have been formally transferred to the prime minister, as required by law.

The letter follows another controversial development announced a day earlier. Under new guidelines currently being prepared by government agencies, Torah institutions that enroll students classified as draft-eligible could lose eligibility for tax benefits tied to charitable donations.

Those guidelines were formulated during high-level discussions involving the Justice Ministry, the Israel Tax Authority, and the Corporations Authority ahead of a Supreme Court hearing scheduled for July.

The Israel Tax Authority is expected to publish an official notice on the matter in the coming days. The proposal would add another layer to a growing list of financial penalties that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and her office have sought to impose on draft-eligible yeshiva students and the institutions in which they study.

Leaders in the Torah world view the latest move as part of what they describe as an escalating campaign of economic pressure aimed at chareidi families and Torah institutions.

The issue has also sparked sharp disagreements within the government. During a cabinet meeting approximately two weeks ago, several ministers reportedly criticized the attorney general’s demands. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi voiced particular opposition, declaring: “The government’s policy is that those who do not learn Torah enlist—so why are we discussing measures against those whose Torah study is their occupation?”

{Matzav.com}