Haredi

Torah study and Israeli military service are both sacred, but not the same - opinion

Public backlash over proposed legislation reflects a broader struggle over how Israel defines service, sacrifice and equality.

|ByMICHAEL FREUND
Haredim block a road and clash with police to protest the jailing of seminary students who fail to comply with IDF recruitment orders, June 1.
Ultra orthoodx jewish men block a road and clash with police during a protest against the jailing of yeshiva students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order, at Ganot junction near Tel Aviv, June 11, 2026.

Haredi activists rush to Ashdod checkpoint after draft dodgers detained in stop

Haredi protestors from the "Black Color" hotline rushed to intervene following a day of protests. The matter was referred to the military police.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Meira Sohlberg, wife of Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, reacts to the attack by haredi protesters on their Alon Shvut home, June 3.

Parashat Korah: Misreading intentions

Korah's rebellion shows how mistrust and competing narratives destroy dialogue, as reflected today in Israel’s haredi draft divide.

|ByMOSHE TARAGIN
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu is seen walking past haredi lawmaker Yitzhak Goldknopf, at the Prime Minister’s Office in 2023.

Goldknopf protests 'exclusion' of haredi West Bank communities from budget in letter to Netanyahu

"How is it possible that the budgets, development, and benefits that reach the other communities never reach the ultra-Orthodox population centers in Judea and Samaria?" Goldknopf asked.

|ByANNA BARSKY

WATCH: Haredi draft protests shut down highways, trains for two hours, scuffle with police

One 21-year-old haredi protester was hit by a car on Highway 1, and one 93-year-old civilian man was injured in the protests.

JUNE 11, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Haredi protesters block a highway in Israel on June 11, 2026.

WATCH: Haredim protest in Jerusalem, central Israel over detention of draft dodgers

Israel Police said later on Wednesday that the Jerusalem protests had been dispersed and roads had reopened to traffic.

JUNE 10, 2026ByWALLA, MAARIV
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters demonstrate against the arrest of ultra orthodox jewish men who took part in a protest outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg and were later handed over to the military police, outside the police station in Jerusalem, June 10, 2026.

Knesset advances bill to enshrine Torah study into Basic Law, supporting haredi draft evaders

It proposes that the State of Israel "recognize those who commit themselves to long-term dedication to Torah study as performing significant service to the state and the Jewish people."

JUNE 10, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
MK Tally Gotliv and and MK Ofir Katz attend a House committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on, June 9, 2026.

Israel’s future belongs to its builders, not its hooligans - opinion

Israel’s hooligans may grab attention, but its soldiers, parents, and builders are shaping the nation’s future.

JUNE 10, 2026ByGIL TROY
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is seen giving a statement in Ottowa, on Monday. Carney created a paper-tiger commission to playact at fighting antisemitism, featuring at least one jihadi apologist, the writer says.

Grapevine: Fiscal support for the ultra-Orthodox

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

JUNE 9, 2026ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
Border Police go about coronavirus inspections in Mea Shearim, a haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem.

Ministerial committee approves Torah Study bill amid coalition tensions

Netanyahu’s coalition advances the Torah Study law, despite opposition and warnings that the bill could worsen draft evasion amid Israel’s manpower shortage.

JUNE 9, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
Shas leader MK Aryeh Deri seen during a Shas party meeting, at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on January 23, 2023.

Jerusalem Pride turned a divided city into a celebration of belonging - opinion

Jerusalem Pride is for those of us who believe in the dignity of every human being, regardless of who they love, how they pray, or where they come from.

JUNE 9, 2026BySARINA WIESEL
THOUSANDS TAKE part in the annual Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem, on June 4, 2026.

Haredi protesters block Jerusalem road over false reports of draft dodger arrest

In addition, Jerusalem District Police raided the homes of suspects connected to the June 1 haredi riots in Beit Shemesh.

JUNE 9, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
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; Illustrative.

Deri says Shas supports draft evaders during prison visit, calls to add Torah study to Basic Law

The visit was made to the Neve Tzedek Military Prison, and Deri was accompanied by other lawmakers from his party, including MK Michael Malkieli and Haim Biton.

JUNE 7, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
SHAS PARTY leader Arye Deri visits military prison expressing support for draft evaders, Sunday, June 7, 2026.

Ultra-Orthodox protesters block Jerusalem's Tunnel Checkpoint after draft dodger arrested

Border Police officers from the Jerusalem periphery unit and Jerusalem District police officers are operating at the scene.

JUNE 7, 2026ByEFRAT FORSHER, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
HAREDI PROTESTERS block Highway 1, June 1, 2026.