As the Israeli government moves toward revoking tax-deductible donation status for yeshivos that enroll students classified as military draft evaders, Rav Nachum Bombach, chairman of the board of Yeshivas Itri and a certified public accountant, said the measure would undoubtedly create challenges but expressed confidence that the Torah world would endure.

Speaking with Avi Mimran on Kol Chai Radio’s central news program, Bombach explained that Section 46 of Israel’s Income Tax Ordinance allows donors to approved public institutions to receive a tax credit equal to 35 percent of their contribution, making it a significant incentive for charitable giving.

Even so, Bombach said it remains unclear how severely the proposed change would affect donations.

“A person who donates to a yeshiva is not donating because of the tax benefit,” he said. “After all, 65% of the donation isn’t recognized anyway. If someone chooses to support a yeshiva, it’s possible that the tax benefit is only a secondary consideration. It could even motivate people to continue giving despite losing the benefit. We simply don’t know what the actual impact will be.”

Bombach acknowledged that eliminating the tax incentive appears to be a serious financial blow but noted that yeshivos have already weathered more difficult crises, including the sharp reductions in government funding over the past year and a half.

“Clearly, on the surface, this seems like a significant blow, but we’ve dealt with things that were even worse. The yeshivos survived the budget cuts, and we’ll get through this as well.”

During the interview, Bombach was also asked whether yeshivos could preserve their Section 46 status by placing students classified as draft evaders into a separate nonprofit organization while maintaining the primary institution’s eligibility.

He dismissed the idea as unrealistic.

“I don’t think it’s a practical solution at all. The state would argue that it’s a fictitious arrangement and would never allow it.”

Concluding the interview, Bombach addressed the broader legal and political battle surrounding the draft of bnei yeshivos, saying he believes there are those who are actively seeking to undermine the Torah world.

“We have to deal with the situation,” he said. “We hope that Hakadosh Boruch Hu will bring us better times. For now, this is the reality. The yeshivos have survived, they will survive, and they will continue to grow even stronger.”