Ultra-Orthodox

Haredi conscription debate threatens long-standing Israeli coalitions - opinion

Ultra-Orthodox parties face mounting political backlash as Israel’s war strains the reserve system and coalition stability.

 Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, central Israel, April 28, 2025
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu speaks alongside former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in Budapest last year. Orban transformed Hungary into a quasi-autocracy, while Netanyahu has not achieved the same in Israel, the writer says.

Are new Knesset proposals pushing Israel toward Hungary-style governance? - opinion

A man wearing a mask depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds images of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a protest in Tel Aviv, last month. When both sides view the election in such existential terms, restraint disappears, the writer warns.

Israel’s upcoming election season could become its ugliest yet - opinion

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against the jailing of seminary students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order outside the home of Military Police commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin in Ashkelon, May 14, 2026.

Ultra-Orthodox protesters attempt to invade military police chief's home


Knesset unanimously approves law banning the use of 'skunk' liquid at demonstrations

Additionally, any use of a water cannon to disperse a demonstration must be recorded with full visual documentation, ensuring appropriate image quality and audible sound.

Police clash with ultra-Orthodox Jews following a protest against IDF conscription in Jerusalem.

Police arrest one protester as ultra-Orthodox Jews block Jerusalem light rail

A police officer declared the gathering a public disturbance and called on the protesters to clear the road, leading to the arrest of one man.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish clash with police in Jerusalem during a protest against the jailing of seminary students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order, May 7, 2026.

Israel Police stops wedding between 40-year-old man, teenage bride in northern Israel - report

Even so, law enforcement officials told Ynet that community members claim that such events are “engagement parties” rather than wedding ceremonies, which complicates matters under the law.

View of Moshav Yavne'el, southwest of Tiberias, northern Israel, May 13, 2025.

Closing the autism diagnosis gap in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox, Arab communities - opinion

Early diagnosis of autism ensures that every child, in every community in Israel, has an equal start to life.

An empty classroom

Haredim threaten to boycott Rami Levy's Israir if Shabbat flights continue

Israir CEO Uri Sirkis has been summoned to meet with the haredi leaders in Jerusalem to discuss the issue.

An Israir flight takes off at the Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, June 19, 2025.

IDF launches recruitment push for ultra-Orthodox combat units active across war fronts

The units being recruited for, Hetz Company, Netzah Yehuda Battalion, and Hasmonaim Brigade, have all operated across multiple fronts throughout the ongoing war.

 An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man is seen exiting an IDF recruiting office in Jerusalem, June 25, 2024

Can Bennett become Israel’s Peter Magyar in the fight for democracy? - opinion

Can Naftali Bennett break Netanyahu’s bloc and lead Israel, or is the hope of a Magyar-style political reset in Israel still an illusion?

Naftali Bennett speaks during a conference at the Reichman University in Herzliya, on January 22, 2026.

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.

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.

Rabbi Nahum Israel Ober.

Israel High Court demands government enforce draft law, revoke benefits from evaders

Israel’s High Court has ordered the state to revoke benefits from haredi draft evaders, marking a major step toward enforcing the draft law amid the ongoing manpower shortage.

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.