Opinion Piece Proposes Tax for Citizens Who Skip Military Service

An opinion article published May 26, 2026, states that citizens who do not serve in the military should pay a special compensatory tax to the state. The piece references ongoing coalition discussions about a draft law and notes that wartime societies often show reduced tolerance for those who avoid service while expecting state benefits.

The article points to Switzerland's long-standing policy requiring non-serving citizens to pay a compensatory tax. It proposes Israeli legislation that would require any citizen who chooses not to serve to pay a cumulative tax of roughly NIS 200,000 by age 30, with the measure needing a supermajority to repeal.

The opinion suggests that if a community views draft exemption as a core value, it could fund the exemption through its own resources or philanthropists. The article concludes that such a tax would test whether groups declaring refusal to serve are also willing to accept a financial cost.