Israeli draft

Israel's attorney-general urges High Court to cut benefits for 110,000 draft evaders

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara urged the High Court to consider restricting tax and transport benefits for draft evaders, citing government inaction and the IDF's urgent manpower needs.

Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men at the Tel Hashomer IDF base, August 30, 2026.
Members of the Chabad community at Ben-Gurion Airport, October 20, 2026.

IDF detains 42 Chabad Hassidic draft evaders arriving from New York at Ben-Gurion Airport

 THE ZIONIST identity didn’t overcome the Jewish identity, nor did the opposite occur: An IDF soldier puts on tefillin.

National-religious men overrepresented in IDF reserves as haredim stay absent, IDI analysis finds

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Eyal Zamir meets with soldiers in southern Lebanon, July 4, 2026.

Israeli youth eager for combat, majority see IDF as victorious - poll


IDF to summon over 50,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews in massive push for haredi draft

All 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews eligible for military service will be called on to arrive for actual service by July 2026.

 ‘THE HAREDI leadership argues that it is forbidden to draft yeshiva students whose Torah is their profession and that they defend the State of Israel through their studies.’

Much ado about nothing: Coalition remains standing as core issues remain unsolved - analysis

The week culminated with an agreement between Shas, Degel Hatorah, Knesset legal advisers, and committees, and an ensuing failed attempt by the opposition to disperse the Knesset.

 A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish man holds a placard next to a police horse as he takes part in a protest against pressure to conscript into the military in Bnei Brak, Israel, June 5, 2025. The words in Hebrew read "We will not enlist in the enemy army."

Shas still trying to reach coalition agreement, rabbis' council head says

This comes after Rabbi Maya signed a letter on Monday opposing the conscription of any haredi individual, even those not studying in a yeshiva.

 Rabbi Moshe Maya speaks during a rally which marks one year since the death of Rabbi Shimon Hirari in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2016.

The haredi draft issue: A ticking time bomb for Israel's future - editorial

What’s been happening is that the same core domestic issue has been shoring up, threatening to break up nearly every coalition: religion and state.

 Ultra orthodox Jews clash with police during a protest against the drafting of ultra orthodox jews to the Israeli army, on road 4 near Bnei Brak, June 5, 2025.

Sanctions against draft-dodgers are ‘sparse,’ IDF says

Current sanctions against draft dodgers are “threadbare” and are not applying enough pressure on haredi men to respect draft orders.

 An illustrative image of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Israeli Jews near a sign for an IDF recruiting office.

A year of empty promises: Edelstein talks, but no draft law yet on haredi enlistment - opinion

MK Yuli Edelstein has spent a year holding talks on ultra-Orthodox enlistment without delivering a draft law, exposing a gap between his rhetoric and real progress.

A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked traffic and the light rail  in Jerusalem demonstrating against a Haredi draft into the IDF. February 26, 2024.

IDF Chief Zamir orders new maximal drafting of haredim to help war effort

Zamir has emphasized the shift to sending a draft notice to every 16.5-year-old haredi male, something which has generally not been done in the past.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir speaks during an event for outstanding soldiers as part of Israel's 77th Independence Day celebrations, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on May 1, 2025.

Bennett slams draft dodging by Israeli leaders, calls for 'covenant of service'

"Inside a tank in Gaza, there is no Right or Left, no secular or religious. There is only unity of purpose: to bring the hostages home and defeat Hamas," said Bennett.

 Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks during the Israel Information Technology Conference in Ness Ziona, May 5, 2025.

IDF begins fresh draft cycle of recruitment for combat units

According to the IDF’s data, 59.79% of the draftees are men, and 40.21% are women, with an average age of 18.95 years. 

 ISRAELI SOLDIERS pray at the Western Wall.

Giving credit where its due: The bravery to break party lines and stand alone - editorial

MK Dan Ilouz, a Likud backbencher, was willing to break party ranks when he called to end the haredi draft exemption.

 Religious IDF Israeli soldiers pray during a training of the Ultra Orthodox Unit at the Givati Brigade near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, September 27, 2017.