Haredi draft

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

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

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

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

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

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


Ultra-Orthodox protesters block roads demanding end to IDF recruitment

Some protesters were seen holding signs asking US President Donald Trump to "save" the haredis from being recruited.

Haredi protesters holding signs asking US President Donald Trump to save them from being drafted, July 15, 2026.

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.

Knesset Finance Committee considers NIS 393 million transfer to Prime Minister's Office

MK Vladimir Beliak of the Together party, the opposition’s coordinator on the committee, spoke with Anat Davidov on 103FM’s Where's the Money program and addressed the budget additions being sought.

MK Vladimir Beliak reacts during a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting and votes on parts of the judicial reform, at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on July 19, 2023.

Sharren Haskel resigns as Israel's deputy FM over bill halting arrests of haredi draft dodgers

Haskel, a member of the New Hope party, heavily opposed the bills aiming to stop the arrest of draft dodgers and to allow haredim to not be drafted into the IDF.

Deputy Minister MK Sharren Haskel attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, December 2, 2025.

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

Bill passes 58-54 despite legal warnings, IDF opposition • Netanyahu heckled by opposition lawmakers shouting 'disgrace' before leaving plenum ahead of the vote

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a Knesset vote on a bill to freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders, in Jerusalem, July 14, 2026

'Know your place': Gotliv calls for IDF chief Zamir's dismissal after his criticism of draft law

“The chief of staff should be the number one soldier and nothing else,” Shekalim said. “He is not supposed to be a lawmaker, and he is not supposed to set policy."

MK Osher Shekalim speaks during a meeting of Special Committee for the Communications Law at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 29, 2026.

IDF chief Zamir clashes with Netanyahu, Katz over bill exempting haredi draft dodgers from arrests

In a sharply worded letter, Zamir said the haredi exemption law would harm recruitment and create serious security risks for the IDF.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, May 10, 2026.

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

Approximately 31% support conscription only in agreement with Haredi leadership, and 11% believe that efforts to draft Haredi men are futile and should stop.

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

Voting rights and PACs: Solutions for the haredi draft evasion problem - opinion

Our soldiers are exhausted. Over half of our reserve soldiers have logged hundreds of days of military duty. We can’t continue to ask them to shoulder the burden alone.

The Knesset House Committee votes to advance the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties' bill that seeks to enshrine Torah Study in the country's Basic Law. June 30, 2026.

Haredi leadership and Netanyahu are facing the same dilemma - opinion

Haredi leadership is throwing everything at the wall: a Basic Law, road-blocking protests organized by the party, voting boycotts in the Knesset – anything to convince their base they can deliver

HAREDI DEMONSTRATORS protest in Jerusalem on July 23, 2025.