Haredi draft

Only clear rules, command chain, can let IDF avoid internal conflict due to religion - editorial

The IDF's reality, where it wants both women and religious men serving together, demands clear rules, common sense, and commanders who know the soldiers they lead.

|ByJPOST EDITORIAL
IDF soldiers participate in the Arrowhead agility competition on July 8, 2026.
A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protester argues with a police officer outside the Jerusalem IDF recruitment center, April 12, 2026.

Givati situation must teach IDF it has no time for diversions by religion, egalitarianism - comment

As the IDF incorporates more religious soldiers and more women, it will need to demonstrate common sense, sensitivity, and flexibility.

|ByHERB KEINON
Haredi demonstration in front of the military recruitment office in Jerusalem, April 12, with a sign that reads: ‘We will die and not enlist.’PremiumPremium

Netanyahu's haredi bargain: A lifeline that became a liability - analysis

The haredi draft deal was meant to secure Netanyahu’s political future, but it may be what unravels his coalition’s electoral prospects

|BySHIR PERETS
Ultra-Orthodox (haredi) protesters outside of Tel Hashomer IDF recruitment center in central Israel, August 31, 2026.

WATCH: Anti-draft protesters try to block roads into Tel Hashomer base, prevent haredi enlistment

Ya'akov Dori Street in Kiryat Ono, from Levi Eshkol Street to Shlomo Hamelech, is blocked in both directions, Israel Police said, urging drivers to take alternate routes.

|ByAVI ASHKENAZI , MIRIAM SELA-EITAM

'Malchieli is a murderer!' Shas condemns protests against MK over haredi draft law

Malchieli has stated that yeshiva students should be able to defer service as long as Torah study is their occupation, and recently said he would "not ask for a collective exemption for haredim."

AUGUST 23, 2026BySHIR PERETS
Shas MK Michael Malchieli attends a conference for West Bank sovereignty at the Knesset, July 21, 2025.

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

National-Religious men were found to have increased in service substantially from the start of the war until 2025, while the participation of secular men decreased the most of any group.

AUGUST 23, 2026ByJONAH DAVIDOV
THE ZIONIST identity didn’t overcome the Jewish identity, nor did the opposite occur: An IDF soldier puts on tefillin.

A-G calls for renewed arrests of haredi draft dodgers, says enforcement gap hurts IDF enlistment

Military officials said the enforcement gap stems largely from fewer arrests, since prosecutions generally begin only after draft evaders are detained or report to military facilities.

AUGUST 20, 2026BySARAH BEN-NUN
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish sector has been protesting over the attempts to draft young haredi men into the military.

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.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
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

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

He voted against the January 2025 hostage deal, his own voters demanded he resign, and Ben-Gvir walked out. Smotrich stayed silent for five months. In an interview with the Post, he explained why.

AUGUST 14, 2026ByZVIKA KLEIN, KESHET NEEV
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks with 'Jerusalem Post' Editor in Chief Zvika Klein, August 12, 2026.

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

The suspect was released approximately half an hour later, before the Military Police could arrive, an organization that aids haredi draft dodgers stated.

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

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

Change will come when Israel’s leadership recognizes that protecting full-time Torah study and strengthening national security are not mutually exclusive goals.

AUGUST 6, 2026ByELI PALEY / THE MEDIA LINE
HAREDI PROTESTERS block Highway 1, June 1, 2026; Illustrative.

Exhibition of ultra-Orthodox military draft cartoons vandalized ahead of Animix Festival

A young man wearing a kippah confronted organizers and Tel Aviv Cinematheque CEO Tomer Cohen. They said he tore down and damaged parts of the exhibition before attempting to flee.

AUGUST 4, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
Cartoon showing Moses saying, "Don't they teach this commandment at yeshivas?" and holding a tablet that says, "Thou shalt not vandalize cartoons," created in response to the incident.

Israel Police declare haredi anti-draft protest in Jerusalem disruptive after major road blocked

As such, the police stated that they were working to clear the road and disperse the protesters.

AUGUST 2, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, KESHET NEEV, JAMES GENN
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.

Draft dodgers will either 'enlist or go to prison,' Netanyahu says in closed-door meeting - report

Further, KAN reported that Netanyahu acknowledged the draft law was unsuccessful and that it would not be brought back in the next government.

AUGUST 2, 2026ByKESHET NEEV, JAMES GENN, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
LIKUD LEADER BENJAMIN Netanyahu shakes hands with United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Goldknopf in the Knesset last week. If Netanyahu’s promise of a full budget for all haredi educational institutions is realized, the already-low incentive to provide core studies will disappear entirely.