Haredi draft

Netanyahu’s haredi gamble may become his biggest election liability - analysis

Years of concessions to haredi partners may now pose a political risk for Netanyahu, as right-wing voters express growing anger over the draft exemption issue.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu is seen walking past haredi lawmaker Yitzhak Goldknopf, at the Prime Minister’s Office in 2023.
Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters block Highway 4 near Bnei Brak during an anti-draft protest, December 22, 2025.

Haredi draft dodgers should avoid airports, border crossings to evade arrest, yeshiva council warns

Maj.-Gen. David (Dado) Bar Kalifa, Head of the Manpower Directorate attends a State Control Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on September 17, 2025.

Mandatory service extension will not solve army manpower crisis, head of IDF personnel warns

 Haredi men are seen protesting the effort to draft ultra-Orthodox Israelis into the IDF.

Over 70 mayors, council leaders file petition against haredi draft exemption law


Voting rights and PACs: Solutions for the haredi draft evasion problem - opinion

Our soldiers are exhausted. Over half of our reserve soldiers have logged hundreds of days of military duty. We can’t continue to ask them to shoulder the burden alone.

The Knesset House Committee votes to advance the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties' bill that seeks to enshrine Torah Study in the country's Basic Law. June 30, 2026.

Haredi leadership and Netanyahu are facing the same dilemma - opinion

Haredi leadership is throwing everything at the wall: a Basic Law, road-blocking protests organized by the party, voting boycotts in the Knesset – anything to convince their base they can deliver

HAREDI DEMONSTRATORS protest in Jerusalem on July 23, 2025.

Laundering human capital: The reckless amnesty bills and their debasement of the Torah - opinion

Under the guise of concern for the world of Torah, two bills are on the table: the Basic Law: Torah Study on the one side, and the Law of Exemption from Arrests on the other. 

Haredi anti-draft protesters block Highway 4 near Bnei Brak denouncing the detention of a draft dodger, February 9, 2026.

Haredi protesters, IDF soldiers clash outside of Military Prison 10 amid draft dodging controversy

The protesters were acting violently, according to the military, and they entered a restricted military area before being forcibly removed. 

(Illustrative) Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest outside the Military Prison near Kfar Yona, central Israel, against the jailing of yeshiva student Shimon Biton for failing to comply with an Israeli military recruitment order, July 8, 2026.

How much will the Torah Students Law cost?

Amidst discussions on the government's betrayal of youth sent to the battlefield, the economic aspect is nearly forgotten: The Torah Students Law is bound to cause immense damage.

PM Netanyahu and MKs Goldknopf and Gafni during the vote on the Basic Law: Torah Study

Record low 28% of Israelis say Trump prioritizes Israel's security, survey finds

Notably, the findings showed that most Jewish Israelis believe the current strain in US-Israel relations is temporary, while Israeli Arabs are more divided on the issue.

US President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon his arrival at Etimesgut Air Base near Ankara, on July 7, 2026, to attend the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit.

The hidden economic danger in the Basic Law on Torah Study

Another significant dimension has received almost no attention: the possibility that the law will alter Israel’s national priorities and damage the growth engines on which the Israeli economy depends

MKS ATTEND a House committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on June 16, 2026.

Likud MK Kallner opposes criminal arrests for haredi draft evaders, backs economic sanctions

Kallner, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told 103FM that he does not think arresting yeshiva students is 'the right way.'

An Israeli soldier guard as young men gathered during a demonstration by Ultra-Orthodox Jews against Israel's military draft on June 17, 2026 outside the Beit Lid military base in Kfar Yona, Israel. The conscription of young ultra-Orthodox men into the military, from which they were long exempt.

WATCH: Haredi protesters block entrance to IDF's Central Command HQ in Jerusalem

The haredim, who were protesting against mandatory conscription for ultra-Orthodox men, were seen blocking part of the gate, screaming at soldiers, and not letting them through.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters demonstrate against the arrest of ultra orthodox jewish men who took part in a protest outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg and were later handed over to the military police, outside the Abu Kabir detention facility, June 10, 2026. Ilustrative.

Likud's Yuli Edelstein leaves party after two decades, reportedly will start new right-wing party

Afterward, he is expected to launch a new political party, apparently alongside figures such as Gilad Erdan and Ayelet Shaked.

MK Yuli Edelstein attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, December 9, 2025.