Haredi draft

'Fulfill your responsibility': IDF chief warns of manpower crisis in Passover letter to MKs

Zamir warned that an upcoming decision to shorten mandatory service to 30 months would result in “serious harm and a decline in the IDF’s order of battle,”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir visits Central Command soldiers on March 17, 2026.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends a Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, on February 17, 2026.

Bennett draws coalition line: No government with those who do not serve - interview

Ultra orthodox Jewish reserve soldiers of the IDF's Hasmonean Brigade operate in the Gaza Strip on June 26, 2025.

Netanyahu, Bismuth to advance controversial haredi draft bill amid IDF manpower shortage

A man brandish Israeli flags following an Iranian strike in Givatayim, in the center of Israel on March 6, 2026.

Israel's government risks unity by advancing divisive laws amid ongoing war with Iran - editorial


IDF cancels ultra-Orthodox Hashmonaim Brigade event for parents in Bnei Brak after haredi riot

The event was interrupted by a group of several dozen haredi extremists associated with the Jerusalem faction, who tried to break into the compound where the event was being held.

HAREDIM SCUFFLE with police outside Jerusalem’s IDF Recruitment Center, Nov. 12.

Netanyahu promised to advance death penalty bill before October 7, Ben-Gvir claims

Ben-Gvir also stated that the Attorney-General's call to dismiss him was his “greatest award.” “It shows I influenced, I led policy in the South, I changed the Prison Service,” he said.

 Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir at the annual Jerusalem Conference of the 'Besheva' group in Jerusalem, on February 21, 2023.

Court releases bus driver who fatally rammed haredi teen to three days of house arrest

At the end of the morning hearing, Judge Tamar Bar-Asher ordered the driver to be released after reviewing security footage from the scene.

the scene where a teenager was killed and three others were injured after being hit by a bus near rally against the recruitment of Ultra orthodox Jews to the IDF, in Jerusalem, January 6, 2026.

Ultra-Orthodox sages convene on haredi IDF draft bill, withhold official stance

The rabbis reportedly did not reach a decision on the matter; however, they allegedly decided internally to reject the sanctions imposed on draft evaders.

Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, head of the Gur hassidic dynasty,  seen after a meeting of the Council of Torah Sages regarding the haredi draft exemption bill in Jerusalem, January 7, 2026.

Millions transferred to haredi schools without Knesset approval, state admits to court

During the hearing, a state representative acknowledged that a significant portion of the funds had already been transferred prior to the Finance Committee discussion.

Opposition head Yair Lapid arrives for a court hearing at the Supreme Court on a petition against the transfer of funds to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, January 8, 2026

Court extends detention of bus driver who rammed into ultra-Orthodox protesters

The court ordered the suspect held until January 15 to allow investigators to complete inquiries into the circumstances of the incident.

Signs from mass haredi protest against draft law in Jerusalem, January 6, 2026.

Bus driver rams into ultra-Orthodox protesters in Jerusalem, 14-year-old killed

Thousands of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters gathered in Israel's capital on Tuesday evening • Driver arrested after killing one, injuring three others • Shas: "Haredi blood is not cheap."

Security and rescue forces are seen at the scene where a teenager was killed and three others were injured after being hit by a bus in Jerusalem, January 6, 2026

From yellow badges to ‘extermination ovens’: Toxic rhetoric of haredi draft protests - editorial

The latest affront occurred on Sunday when UTJ chairperson Yitzhak Goldknopf compared enforcing yeshiva students’ conscription to “placing a yellow badge on them.”

Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters gather in Mea She'arim, Jerusalem, to celebrate draft dodgers' release from miiltary prison, November 30, 2025; illustrative.

IDF sees largest single-day haredi draft to date with over 530 new recruits, still far from goal

As the IDF struggles to hit haredi enlistment goals, the military announced that it is making efforts to “expand the scope of recruitment from among the haredi public.”

Maj.-Gen. Dado Bar Khalifa, head of the IDF’s Human Resources Department, addresses ultra-Orthodox recruits as they enlist in the military.

Bennett pushes for billions of shekels to be redirected to reservists over draft dodgers

Bennett discussed his outline for the draft law, which would grant benefits to active reservists, including assistance with apartment purchases and benefits regarding daycare and state services.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid hold a joint press conference at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on June 20, 2022.