Haredi

Café Basimta: The Jerusalem café where Shabbat, religious freedom, and evangelism collide - opinion

Secular Israelis began showing up, buying coffee not because they wanted to hear about Jesus, but because they wanted to make a point about religious coercion.

|ByJONATHAN FELDSTEIN, DAVID NEKRUTMAN
The writers – Jonathan Feldstein (L) and David Nekrutman – outside Café Basimta, not on Shabbat.
Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, attends the Shabtai Shavit World Summit on Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University in Herzliya, October 6, 2026.

Ayatollah Khamenei's assassination a 'mistake,' Democrats party leader Yair Golan says

"When you have an elderly and veteran leader, there is certainly an advantage in that," said Golan. "Of course, he was already 86 years old."

|ByAARON GLICK
HAREDI YESHIVA students

Education Min. violated privacy law in leak exposing 21,000 special education students, court finds

The ministry database contains sensitive information about more than 100,000 people and, under the regulations, is therefore subject to high security requirements, the authority said.

|BySARAH BEN-NUN
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters demonstrate against an IDF recruitment conference for the Haredi community in Jerusalem, August 4, 2026.

Israel Police criticize Military Police over handling of Modi'in draft dodger arrest after riot

Modi'in Mayor Haim Bibas, who also serves as chairman of the Local Authorities Federation, called on the police and the military to review their conduct.

|ByHODAYA RAN

Knesset panel approves budget transfer of NIS 270 million to haredi education during recess

The committee approved a total of approximately NIS 1 billion in budget allocations for the Education Ministry, the Settlement and National Missions Ministry, and the Religious Services Ministry.

AUGUST 4, 2026ByKESHET NEEV, SARAH BEN-NUN
Finance Committee chair MK Hanoch Milwidsky leads a Finance committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, August 4, 2026.

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.

AUGUST 4, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
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.

IDF Atidim launches first dedicated engineering track for haredi, minority students

Students will earn practical engineering diplomas before enlistment, serve in leading Military Intelligence technology units, and complete full engineering degrees during their military service.

AUGUST 4, 2026ByAMIR BOHBOT
The students will be integrated into core technological units in the Military Intelligence Directorate and the IDF in general. Program opening ceremony via Walla.

Haredi anti-draft protesters demonstrate against new Ma'alot Tzur enlistment program head- report

According to N12, the protesters arrived in organized transportation, stood outside the new head's home, and distributed pashkevilim (broadsides or posters used by the ultra-Orthodox community).

AUGUST 3, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Ultra orthodox Jews protest against the drafting of ultra orthodox jews to the Israeli army, in Jerusalem, July 15, 2026.

Netanyahu can't campaign against draft-evasion law he just backed - editorial

The haredi public is a vital part of Israel, but that does not justify mass exemption during a sustained national-security emergency.

AUGUST 3, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 16, 2026.

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.

AUGUST 2, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, KESHET NEEV, JAMES GENN
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.

AUGUST 2, 2026ByKESHET NEEV, JAMES GENN, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
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.

Avigdor Liberman joins supporters as haredi protesters target Jerusalem café for fifth week

Customers shouted “Enlist, enlist” as haredi protesters demonstrated outside the Jerusalem café for a fifth consecutive Saturday.

AUGUST 1, 2026ByALON HACHMON
Cafe Basimta, Jerusalem

'Nazis, get out of here': Haredi protesters assault Border Police officers, soldiers in Jerusalem

According to Ynet, the two incidents come on the tail end of a haredi car procession and march from Beit Shemesh to Kikar Hashabbat in Jerusalem, protesting the detention of 63 draft dodgers. 

JULY 31, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
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.

Beyond the draft debate, what is the real solution to Israel's security crisis? - opinion

The central question is no longer who wins the argument over the Haredi draft. It is whether Israel is prepared to build a security strategy broad enough to mobilize every part of its society for the

JULY 31, 2026ByELI PALEY / THE MEDIA LINE
Haredi men dressed in traditional ultra-Orthodox garb stand behind a group of religious IDF soldiers