Following a series of court rulings and government decisions over the past year that led to the suspension of various budgets and benefits for bnei yeshivos, the left-wing organization Israel Hofsheet is now seeking to expand those efforts to local authorities, this time focusing on summer events and Bein Hazmanim activities.

According to a report in Haaretz, attorney Yael Weisel of Kalai-Rosen & Co., acting on behalf of Israel Hofsheet, sent letters to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara as well as the legal advisers of the Jerusalem, Ashdod, and Arad municipalities.

The organization is demanding that municipalities halt funding, grants, and benefits provided to institutions and events connected to yeshiva students whose military status is not regulated. The appeal cites a 2025 High Court ruling stating that “as a general rule, benefits that are granted directly or indirectly in connection with evasion of the draft—for example, benefits granted to a yeshiva student as such, when remaining in the yeshiva constitutes evasion of military service—should not continue to be provided.”

The new demand follows a series of measures taken over the past year, during which various budgets and benefits for the Torah world were canceled or reduced following High Court rulings and legal petitions. Among other things, funding for bnei yeshivos subject to military service was halted, additional benefits were reduced, welfare funding for yeshivos serving at-risk students was revoked and other support programs were affected. The organization now argues that the same policy should apply to funds distributed through local authorities.

Joining the demand was Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yossi Havilio, who appealed to the city’s legal adviser, Chaim Nagrasi, requesting that funding for the events be stopped.

“We oppose the Jerusalem Municipality funding events for bnei yeshivos who do not enlist, thereby encouraging draft evasion,” he said.

The Jerusalem Municipality responded that all municipal activities are open to the general public in accordance with the legal adviser’s guidelines. The municipality added that it is not the body authorized to examine the personal military status of participants and does not possess such information.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)