Children of Migrant Workers Await Court Decision on IDF Enlistment
Young adults born in Israel to migrant workers are awaiting a decision on their petition to enlist in the IDF, as the state seeks to defer the matter to the next government.
A group of young adults born in Israel to migrant workers from the Philippines is continuing its legal battle for the right to enlist in the IDF. The petitioners, who completed their high school studies in Israel, filed a petition with the High Court of Justice alongside some 40 other peers in a similar situation.
In its official response to the High Court, the State Attorney's Office stated that the complex issue must be deferred to the political echelon and handled only after a new government is established, citing the ongoing election period and the absence of a permanent interior minister. The state argued that the petitioners lack legal status in Israel and that decisions regarding their enlistment require formal political clearance.
The petitioners expressed deep frustration over the renewed delay, especially amid the ongoing war and the severe shortage of active-duty soldiers. John Ray Delisay, one of the young applicants, noted that a full company could be formed entirely of youth in their position, emphasizing that their motivation to serve remains undiminished despite the bureaucratic hurdles.
The legal challenge, represented by attorneys Zari Hazan, Meital Lopolyansky, and Dror Strum, contends that existing legislation empowers military authorities to draft individuals regardless of official citizenship. However, the state maintains that current military recruitment policies strictly apply only to Israeli citizens and permanent residents.
