Israel Land Authority Bars Haredi Draft Evaders from Subsidized Housing Lotteries
Israel's Land Authority has barred haredi draft evaders from participating in subsidized housing lotteries in the most severe economic sanction imposed on ultra-Orthodox men who have not enlisted, with further sanctions on municipal tax discounts, public transport subsidies, and daycare expected within days.
The Council of the Israel Land Authority has approved a decision revoking the eligibility of haredi draft evaders to participate in subsidized housing lotteries under the government's "Price for a Tenant" program, in what is being described as the most severe economic sanction imposed on ultra-Orthodox men who have not enlisted.
The decision comes after a legal struggle and attempts by Housing Minister Haim Katz to introduce softer wording. The council ultimately passed a version making lottery eligibility conditional on IDF data confirming that neither the applicant nor their spouse is classified as a draft evader who has not resolved their military status.
The move follows a High Court ruling ordering the state to take concrete steps to revoke key financial benefits from draft evaders. The five-justice panel gave the state until June 1 to update the court on implementation, both on the economic and criminal enforcement tracks. According to state data cited in the ruling, roughly 76,000 draft-age men have been declared draft evaders or are under draft orders, approximately 80% of them haredi.
Since the court ruled in 2024 that ultra-Orthodox men were obligated to enlist, over 79,000 conscription orders have been issued, yet only 2,100 have enlisted. Between January 2025 and January 2026, only 17 ultra-Orthodox men were proactively arrested for draft evasion.
Following the council's decision, a lottery for 4,000 housing units designated for reservists will be launched Tuesday. A second lottery for 4,000 units open to the general public, including haredi applicants, is pending receipt of IDF data on draft evaders, which may arrive later Monday or Tuesday, after which that lottery will proceed while excluding those classified as evaders.
The Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Gil Lemon, is currently examining whether the loss of eligibility will also apply retroactively to haredi draft evaders who already won lotteries but have not yet signed purchase contracts. The number of couples potentially affected remains unclear.
Further sanctions are expected in the coming days. A decision is anticipated by next week on removing two additional benefits from draft evaders: eligibility for municipal tax discounts and public transportation subsidies. A further sanction, set to take effect at the start of the next school year, will expand the removal of daycare subsidies to any haredi individual who did not serve in the military, including those who are employed.
The housing sanction will not be lifted unless the Knesset passes legislation regulating military service for the haredi community. Without such a law, the measure is expected to significantly affect the economic structure of haredi households and could serve as a major incentive for enlistment.