Ultra-Orthodox

High Court: State’s haredi draft enforcement update ‘does not satisfy’ amid Iran war tensions

“In these pressing times, today’s hearing was canceled,” the court wrote. “But the need to enforce the obligation of military enlistment is steadily increasing.” 

A COURT hearing on the government’s draft of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli military at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, October 29, 2025.
Raising their flags in berets.

When first graders in Modi’in sang 'You Won’t Defeat Me,' I cried - opinion

Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men are seen near a bus in Jerusalem in this photo from 2015.

When I sat next to a haredi: A moment of humanity in amid division in Israel - opinion

Ultra-orthodox Jewish men talk on the phone in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on December 4, 2025.

Should control of the Western Wall be delegated to one sect of Judaism over another? - editorial


Ultra-Orthodox rioters throw stones at bus carrying IDF soldiers during Jerusalem protest

Soldiers tried to help the police disperse the rioters, but were forced to go back inside the bus violently. The police had to use stun grenades to disperse the rioting crowd.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men clash with police during a protest following the issuance of a parking ticket on Bar-Ilan Road in Jerusalem, on December 18, 2025.

Thirteen officers injured as ultra-Orthodox Jews riot over parking ticket, four arrested

Rioters hurled stones, vandalized a police vehicle and property, and threw trash cans at officers after police tried to issue a routine parking ticket in Jerusalem.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men clash with police during a protest following the issuance of a parking ticket in Jerusalem, December 18, 2025

Israel’s 'supreme' democracy: Who really decides the nation’s values - opinion

From Barak to today’s High Court, a quiet revolution has ignited a fierce debate over democracy in Israel.

Former high Court president Aharon Barak is seen at a conference of the Israeli Association of Public Law (IAPL) in Haifa, earleir this month. Arguments over judicial overreach and activism in Israel have been ongoing for years, the writer notes.

Ex-haredim experience isolation and anxiety similar to immigrants, study finds

The findings reveal that exiting strict, high-demand religious groups is not only a change in belief but a full-scale cultural transition, comparable to moving from one country to another.

 An ultra orthodox jewish man carrying his rifle outside a wedding of the Ger (Hasidic dynasty) in Jerusalem on March 13, 2024.

Ultra-Orthodox child forgotten on bus and left alone at West Bank checkpoint, police probe parents

The child's parents, a haredi couple residing in Modi'in Ilit, were located on Monday morning and subsequently taken into questioning by police officers.

A three-year-old haredi child found on his own at a bus terminal at the Kalandiya West Bank crossing, December 15, 2025

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.