Supreme Court Rejects Neturei Karta Petition For Blanket IDF Exemption On Conscience Grounds

JERUSALEM (VINNews) — The Israeli Supreme Court rejected a petition submitted by the Old Yishuv Children’s Committee and members of the Satmar community in Israel requesting a blanket exemption from serving in the IDF on grounds of conscience and religion.

The petitioners claimed that they anyway did not intend to enlist in the IDF and would not cooperate in any form with the registration procedures even to obtain an official exemption. Moreover they claimed that as opposed to the mainstream Chareidi public which does not enlist for religious reasons, their community does not enlist on conscience grounds and therefore they should be viewed as conscientious objectors who are automatically exempted from military service.

Judge David Mintz ruled that the petitioners and their communities did not have an advantage over other communities which are required to register individually for a formal exemption and prove that they are studying in a yeshiva and therefore they cannot demand a blanket exemption. Regarding the issue of conscientious rejection, the judge claimed that it would require an individual investigation of each and every youth’s beliefs and therefore there was no possibility of granting a blanket exemption to the communities.

The petition was rejected and the petitioners required to pay 5000 NIS in legal fees.