Ultra-Orthodox

Netanyahu's political opposition must present clear policies - opinion

Israel’s opposition unites against Netanyahu, but lacks policies to present a clear alternative government.

Benjamin Netanyahu
MK Boaz Bismuth seen with haredi MKs and Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer in the Knesset, Jerusalem, January 14, 2026.

Haredi parties accuse Knesset foreign affairs committee legal adviser of stalling draft bill

Ultra-Orthodox rioters clash with police following an assault on two female Israeli soldiers in Bnei Brak, February 15, 2026.

Tearing Israel apart: Jew-on-Jew violence in Bnei Brak is unacceptable - opinion

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish sector has been protesting over the attempts to draft young haredi men into the military.

Study shows how Israel's economy funnels money to ultra-Orthodox families through benefit programs


Haredi population grows rapidly while male employment and army service stall, IDI report finds

According to IDI, the ultra Orthodox community is growing fast, but gaps in employment, income, and military service persist, particularly among haredi men.

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man is seen during protests in Jerusalem as a banner reads 'All [Israeli] people are IDF,' October 30, 2025

Israel faces tough choices over haredi draft exemptions, legal expert warns - interview

Legal expert Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz warns that Israel’s draft bill for the Haredi community may entrench societal divisions and worsen long-term challenges for the economy and military.

Protests against haredi draft in Jerusalem, October 30, 2025.

New data maps Israel’s freedom divide: Liberal cities surge, conservative ones slip

The index measures municipal performance across 11 areas tied directly to daily life, including education oversight, gender-segregated events, religious budgets, and transparency.

Orthodox jews protest against Tel Aviv municipality Shabbat bus service, outside the home of Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai in Tel Aviv on December 7, 2019.

Rep. Lawler letter asking Netanyahu to exempt dual citizens from draft dodging arrests resurfaces

Lawler’s letter, now circulating again, asked Israel to safeguard the mobility of US-Israel dual citizens impacted by attorney-general directives linked to haredi draft evasion.

US Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) arrives prior to a closed briefing on Iran for members of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 27, 2025; illustrative.

Haredi teenager suffers head injury in hit-and-run at Bnei Brak protest, arrests made

Footage of the incident shared by public broadcaster KAN News appeared to show the vehicle as it passed through the crowd, having knocked several protesters over.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews protests attempts to establish a draft bill in the Knesset, in Bnei Brak, December 8, 2025.

Religious Zionist Party crosses threshold with four seats as coalition bloc climbs to 53 - poll

The poll shows the coalition bloc rising to 53 seats, up four from the previous survey, driven by Religious Zionism’s gains. The opposition bloc gained 57 seats.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich seen after a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem on December 4, 2025.

From Talmud to temptation: How erotica found a home in Orthodox Israel

Romance and erotica in literature, once niche, is growing in popularity among religious readers.

Romance and erotica novels are gaining popularity among religious women in Israel, with some rabbis quietly endorsing the genre for 'peace in the home.'

'A movement takes time': How one rabbi is slowly changing the haredi draft debate

Behind protests and politics, a quiet revolution is reshaping ultra-Orthodox attitudes toward military service.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews carry a banner in Hebrew that reads, “to prison and not the army,” during a “million man” protest against military conscription, in Jerusalem October 30, 2025.

Haredi exemption has become Israel's greatest internal security threat - analysis

Allowing ultra-Orthodox Jews to refrain from sharing the burden of IDF service is unsustainable and existentially dangerous.

Haredi protesters against the IDF draft demonstrate in Jerusalem on October 30, 2025.

WATCH: Haredi protesters set fires, block roads, throw stones at police officers, in Beit Shemesh

Haredi demonstrators rioted in Beit Shemesh, blocking buses and throwing stones, as police units moved in to disperse the crowd.

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