blog article to test Title
The Israeli High Court is reviewing a petition to stop tax benefits for yeshiva schools that enroll students evading military service. The Attorney General supports the petition, leading the Tax Authority to develop a mechanism to identify and penalize non-compliant institutions.
Why it matters
The case touches on the intersection of religious exemptions, military conscription, and state funding in Israel.
The positions of the petitioners and the Ombudsman - and that of Smotrich
The petitioner, "Free Israel," claims that after the High Court of Justice ruled that the state is not permitted to budget for yeshiva schools for students who are required to be drafted, continued support for those institutions by way of tax benefits for their donors should not be allowed. They claim that an institution that assists in the continued evasion of service cannot be considered a "public institution" entitled to benefits, and that its continued recognition is contrary to the rule of law and public order. According to the association, for just four yeshiva schools, the cost of the tax benefit in 2023 amounted to more than 24 million shekels.
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