Israeli draft

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has a duty to warn the government about draft evasion - editorial

Active-duty generals, as a rule, should stay out of politics, but every rule has its exception.

Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Eyal Zamir, arrives to attend a wreath laying ceremony at Warsaw Ghetto Square at Yad Vashem on April 14, 2026 in Jerusalem, Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a Knesset vote on a bill to freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders, in Jerusalem, July 14, 2026

Knesset votes to freeze arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders amid IDF manpower crisis

A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protester argues with a police officer outside the Jerusalem IDF recruitment center, April 12, 2026.

Almost half of Israelis support tougher sanctions, pressure to promote haredi conscription - poll

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.

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


Highway 4 opens to traffic following Haredi protests over IDF draft arrest

The demonstrations come amid heightened tensions surrounding the state’s policies on military conscription and ongoing failures in the rehabilitation of wounded veterans.

Highway 4 near the Coca-Cola Junction was blocked Thursday afternoon as hundreds of Haredi protesters took to the streets.

Peleg Yerushalmi to hold protest, raffle for IDF draft dodgers

A flyer distributed ahead of the protest invites eligible participants to bring their draft notices and register at the event in order to enter the raffle.

 Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, central Israel, April 28, 2025

IDF to summon over 50,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews in massive push for haredi draft

All 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews eligible for military service will be called on to arrive for actual service by July 2026.

 ‘THE HAREDI leadership argues that it is forbidden to draft yeshiva students whose Torah is their profession and that they defend the State of Israel through their studies.’

Much ado about nothing: Coalition remains standing as core issues remain unsolved - analysis

The week culminated with an agreement between Shas, Degel Hatorah, Knesset legal advisers, and committees, and an ensuing failed attempt by the opposition to disperse the Knesset.

 A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish man holds a placard next to a police horse as he takes part in a protest against pressure to conscript into the military in Bnei Brak, Israel, June 5, 2025. The words in Hebrew read "We will not enlist in the enemy army."

Shas still trying to reach coalition agreement, rabbis' council head says

This comes after Rabbi Maya signed a letter on Monday opposing the conscription of any haredi individual, even those not studying in a yeshiva.

 Rabbi Moshe Maya speaks during a rally which marks one year since the death of Rabbi Shimon Hirari in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2016.

The haredi draft issue: A ticking time bomb for Israel's future - editorial

What’s been happening is that the same core domestic issue has been shoring up, threatening to break up nearly every coalition: religion and state.

 Ultra orthodox Jews clash with police during a protest against the drafting of ultra orthodox jews to the Israeli army, on road 4 near Bnei Brak, June 5, 2025.

Sanctions against draft-dodgers are ‘sparse,’ IDF says

Current sanctions against draft dodgers are “threadbare” and are not applying enough pressure on haredi men to respect draft orders.

 An illustrative image of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Israeli Jews near a sign for an IDF recruiting office.

A year of empty promises: Edelstein talks, but no draft law yet on haredi enlistment - opinion

MK Yuli Edelstein has spent a year holding talks on ultra-Orthodox enlistment without delivering a draft law, exposing a gap between his rhetoric and real progress.

A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked traffic and the light rail  in Jerusalem demonstrating against a Haredi draft into the IDF. February 26, 2024.

IDF Chief Zamir orders new maximal drafting of haredim to help war effort

Zamir has emphasized the shift to sending a draft notice to every 16.5-year-old haredi male, something which has generally not been done in the past.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir speaks during an event for outstanding soldiers as part of Israel's 77th Independence Day celebrations, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on May 1, 2025.

Bennett slams draft dodging by Israeli leaders, calls for 'covenant of service'

"Inside a tank in Gaza, there is no Right or Left, no secular or religious. There is only unity of purpose: to bring the hostages home and defeat Hamas," said Bennett.

 Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks during the Israel Information Technology Conference in Ness Ziona, May 5, 2025.