Haredi

Israeli military nearing breaking point without more manpower, IDF warns Knesset committee

The reported gap in platoon commanders comes as the military continues to warn of broader manpower shortages across combat formations.

|ByAMIR BOHBOT
IDF troops operating in the Wadi Saluki area of southern Lebanon.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from the Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty study Torah outside the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem during a silent protest against the imprisonment of yeshiva students who failed to comply with military recruitment orders, July 1, 2026; Illustrative.

Knesset passes in first reading bill to enshrine Torah study into Basic Law

The wording in the proposal emphasizes Torah study as “a fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel.”

|ByKESHET NEEV
ULTRA-ORTHODOX Jewish men attend a rally against the imprisonment of yeshiva students who failed to comply with military recruitment orders, in Bnei Brak, June 29, 2026.

Son of rabbi who verbally attacked IDF chief says father receives no state funding whatsoever

This comes after Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi was heard cursing Zamir and calling him “accursed” and “may his name be erased.”

|By103FM
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.

Knesset panel advances ultra-Orthodox bill to enshrine Torah study in Basic Law

Critics say the bill could preserve state benefits for yeshiva students who avoid military service amid the IDF’s manpower shortage.

|ByKESHET NEEV

WATCH: Police forcefully disperse anti-draft haredi Jerusalem Faction protest at Chords Bridge

Members of the anti-IDF draft Jerusalem Faction protest blocked Jerusalem’s Chords Bridge, causing traffic disruptions as Israel Police worked to restore order.

APRIL 29, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Anti-IDF haredi activists Jerusalem Faction activists block the road under Jerusalem's Chords Bridge, April 29, 2026.

Brooklyn hasidic Jew found dead in remote area of Colombia, ZAKA working to repatriate body

Reports suggest that the body of 51-year-old Rabbi Nachum Israel Auer was found in a desecrated state, but investigators are still piecing together the details.

APRIL 27, 2026ByYOAV ETIEL
Rabbi Nahum Israel Ober.

Former PM Bennett backs civil marriage, public transport on Shabbat

Naftali Bennett’s remarks in favor of civil marriage and public transport on Shabbat draw praise from left-wing figures but face sharp criticism from haredi parties.

APRIL 20, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett at a conference in Jerusalem, February 17, 2026; illustrative.

MK Boaz Bismuth attacked by haredi mob in Bnei Brak, affirms dedication to draft law

Israel Police intervened and removed Bismuth from the scene without injury. 

APRIL 17, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
MK BOAZ Bismuth leads a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting at the Knesset, in February 2026.

Knesset Finance panel debates transfer of NIS 98 million to haredi schools

The High Court ordered last month that the Finance Committee reconvene and hold a fresh deliberation on the matter before voting to approve the transfer of the funds.

APRIL 14, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
Finance Committee chair MK Hanoch Milwidsky leads a Finance committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, during the war with Iran and Hezbollah, March 15, 2026.

High Court clash exposes IDF manpower crisis, gov't stalling on haredi draft - editorial

Sunday's High Court hearing highlights the growing IDF manpower strain, as criticism mounts over government delays in enforcing haredi conscription.

APRIL 14, 2026ByJPOST EDITORIAL
A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) anti-draft protester holds a banner reading "Even those who do not learn in Yeshiva need to stay Jewish. It's forbidden to commit spiritual suicide in the IDF's crematoriums," during an anti-draft protest at the IDF's Jerusalem recruitment center, April 12, 2026.

High Court presses government over failure to enforce haredi draft ruling, reserves decision

The case centers on the government’s failure to carry out the November 2025 ruling, which held that the state must formulate an effective enforcement policy against haredi draft evasion.

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

IDF chief rejects coalition recruitment law amid personnel crisis

The IDF has acknowledged a critical shortage of 9,000 combat soldiers on the ground and warned that the deficit could rise to 17,000 by the end of the year unless urgent legislation is passed.

APRIL 12, 2026ByAVI ASHKENAZI , JERUSALEM POST STAFF
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir visits Central Command soldiers on March 17, 2026.

Police arrest 19 in ultra-Orthodox protests against IDF draft across Israel

Protesters attempted to block vehicles while lying in the road, addressing officers deployed at Tel Hashomer with "hateful chants." 

APRIL 12, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, HODAYA RAN
Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators holding a sign reading "Zionism uses Jews as human shields" outside of the IDF's recruitment offices in Jerusalem, April 12, 2026.

Rabbis hold key to safety in Israel's haredi society - opinion

In haredi society, religious authority matters more than warnings when it comes to missile safety.

APRIL 6, 2026ByELIYAHU BERKOVITS
An Israeli emergency worker wipes the tears off a child's face at an impact site, after Iran launched missiles towards Israel, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Bnei Brak, Israel April 1, 2026.