Haredi draft

Israel 'abandoned' haredi students, education reform needed, Aliza Bloch tells 'Post' - interview

She criticized the structure of Israel's education system, arguing that the government has ceded too much responsibility for decisions affecting students to bodies outside the public sector.

Former Beit Shemesh mayor and Unity Party member Aliza Bloch in an interview with 'The Jerusalem Post.'
Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters block Highway 4 over detention of draft dodger, August 12, 2026.

Haredi protesters block major Israeli highway after draft dodger's arrest

Esther Luzzatto

From forced conscription to integration by choice

Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party attends a conference in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, July 9, 2026.

Shas invokes IDF soldiers in election campaign ad, drawing Gadi Eisenkot's ire


'Malchieli is a murderer!' Shas condemns protests against MK over haredi draft law

Malchieli has stated that yeshiva students should be able to defer service as long as Torah study is their occupation, and recently said he would "not ask for a collective exemption for haredim."

Shas MK Michael Malchieli attends a conference for West Bank sovereignty at the Knesset, July 21, 2025.

National-religious men overrepresented in IDF reserves as haredim stay absent, IDI analysis finds

National-Religious men were found to have increased in service substantially from the start of the war until 2025, while the participation of secular men decreased the most of any group.

 THE ZIONIST identity didn’t overcome the Jewish identity, nor did the opposite occur: An IDF soldier puts on tefillin.

A-G calls for renewed arrests of haredi draft dodgers, says enforcement gap hurts IDF enlistment

Military officials said the enforcement gap stems largely from fewer arrests, since prosecutions generally begin only after draft evaders are detained or report to military facilities.

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

As he pushes for ultra-Orthodox draft, Moti Leitner aims to put the Haredi Public on a new path

POLITICAL AFFAIRS: Moti Leitner, head of the new Haredi Public Party, wants to encourage mandatory service and introduce core curriculum studies in ultra-Orthodox schools.

MOTI LEITNER, deputy mayor of Beit Shemesh and founder of the Haredi Public Party, at the ‘Jerusalem Post’ studio this week. Leitner argues that ‘those who aren’t studying must take responsibility’ by serving in the IDF or doing national service, while preserving full-time Torah study for select few

The secret Smotrich kept from his wife: Israel was going to war with Iran - interview

He voted against the January 2025 hostage deal, his own voters demanded he resign, and Ben-Gvir walked out. Smotrich stayed silent for five months. In an interview with the Post, he explained why.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks with 'Jerusalem Post' Editor in Chief Zvika Klein, August 12, 2026.

Haredi suspect found to be draft dodger after being detained over disruptively loud noise - report

The suspect was released approximately half an hour later, before the Military Police could arrive, an organization that aids haredi draft dodgers stated.

Haredi protesters gather to demand the release of a draft dodger, Ahisamach, August 9, 2026.

Israel needs a Haredi draft compromise that protects Torah study and security - opinion

Change will come when Israel’s leadership recognizes that protecting full-time Torah study and strengthening national security are not mutually exclusive goals.

HAREDI PROTESTERS block Highway 1, June 1, 2026; Illustrative.

Exhibition of ultra-Orthodox military draft cartoons vandalized ahead of Animix Festival

A young man wearing a kippah confronted organizers and Tel Aviv Cinematheque CEO Tomer Cohen. They said he tore down and damaged parts of the exhibition before attempting to flee.

Cartoon showing Moses saying, "Don't they teach  this commandment at yeshivas?" and holding a tablet that says, "Thou shalt not vandalize cartoons," created in response to the incident.

Israel Police declare haredi anti-draft protest in Jerusalem disruptive after major road blocked

As such, the police stated that they were working to clear the road and disperse the protesters.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men clash with police during a protest against construction work on the Jerusalem Light Rail in the Bar-Ilan area of Jerusalem, June 8, 2026.

Draft dodgers will either 'enlist or go to prison,' Netanyahu says in closed-door meeting - report

Further, KAN reported that Netanyahu acknowledged the draft law was unsuccessful and that it would not be brought back in the next government.

 LIKUD LEADER BENJAMIN Netanyahu shakes hands with United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Goldknopf in the Knesset last week. If Netanyahu’s promise of a full budget for all haredi educational institutions is realized, the already-low incentive to provide core studies will disappear entirely.