Analyst: Ultra-Orthodox Conscription Order Aims To Pressure Haredi Leadership
Tensions rise as Israel moves to draft ultra-Orthodox men, a historically contentious issue deepened by ongoing conflict
Israel’s military on Sunday began issuing the first 1,000 of 7,000 draft orders to ultra-Orthodox men who were previously exempt from mandatory military service. The decision to proceed with the draft was made by former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant before he was dismissed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gallant and Netanyahu clashed on multiple issues, including Haredi conscription.
Current Defense Minister Israel Katz upheld the plan, to the dismay of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, political leaders, who are key members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, and sparked protests Sunday by Haredi demonstrators who blocked the Route 4 highway near Bnei Brak. The protests were led by members of the extremist Jerusalem Faction, with Rabbi Zvi Friedman denouncing the orders as measures that “destroy the Torah, destroy Judaism, and destroy everything.”
The draft notices mark the initial phase of recruitment screening for military service next year, following a June High Court ruling that ended the legal exemption for Haredi yeshiva students.
Conscription for the Haredi community has long been one of the most divisive issues in Israeli society. Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, Lebanon, and other fronts has intensified the debate, as both regular soldiers and reservists bear the brunt of over a year of conflict.
“The defense minister made it clear that he intends to conduct a dialogue … in order to try and promote an agreed solution that will allow for the real integration of Haredim in the army in order to lessen the burden on the soldiers … that are fighting bravely and sacrificing their lives for the safety of Israel,” stated the Defense Ministry on Friday.
By continuing Gallant[’s conscription policy], Katz is creating more pressure on the Haredi leadership, and this may lead to them being more flexible when discussing the legislation of a new conscription law
“By continuing Gallant[’s conscription policy], Katz is creating more pressure on the Haredi leadership, and this may lead to them being more flexible when discussing the legislation of a new conscription law,” Prof. Moshe Hellinger, from Bar Ilan University’s Department of Political Studies, told The Media Line. “Netanyahu will currently not impose any meaningful sanctions because his government will fall, but the pressure will eventually lead to some sort of solution.”
The legal exemption for Haredi Jews expired on July 1, 2024. The current ultra-right government is pushing for a new law to regulate the exemptions and related economic benefits, which opponents deride as the “law of evasion” rather than a genuine conscription law.
“This is the single most dangerous threat to Israeli society,” Dr. Shuki Friedman, director-general of the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) and a member of the Peres Academic Center’s Law Faculty, told The Media Line. “It is clear that the current reality cannot continue. The burden of war is unbearable and as Haredi society grows, there is nowhere else to bring soldiers from. You cannot just order soldiers on AliExpress.”
The issue has fueled strikes and protests over the years, even toppling a government in 2019. The current coalition, formed almost two years ago, gave ultra-Orthodox parties hope that they could secure their exemptions. However, the war’s toll on military personnel has underscored the disparity in service obligations, as secular men and women serve while Haredi men remain exempt.
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“The Haredi population is perceived as a portion of society that is not willing to share the burden and develop true solidarity with Israeli society at its hardest hour,” noted Hellinger.
Temporary solutions have delayed a permanent resolution, with stopgap measures failing to address the core issue.
Military service in Israel is compulsory for men and women at age 18. Since the state’s founding, Haredi Jews have been exempted from service, as it is viewed as a threat to their religious lifestyle. To receive an exemption, ultra-Orthodox men must prove full-time engagement in religious studies, while all religious women, including Haredi women, can claim automatic exemptions. The state also provides substantial funding to institutions that house these men.
To encourage enlistment, the army has created ultra-Orthodox battalions accommodating their religious needs, such as gender segregation—a practice otherwise rare in the military. However, Haredi leaders fear any service poses a risk to their traditions.
“There is no intention to change their identity in the army,” Friedman explained. “Things need to be balanced so that other groups are not hurt. They need to be allowed to share the defense burden within limits.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is working to establish a Haredi brigade and hopes to integrate Haredi soldiers across various units while respecting their traditions.
The army knows how to make adaptations, at least in the first years, otherwise the Haredi population will be willing to sit in jail rather than enlist
“The army knows how to make adaptations, at least in the first years, otherwise the Haredi population will be willing to sit in jail rather than enlist,” Hellinger cautioned. “There will be need for gender separation, allowing for prayer three times a day and time for biblical studies. But there will be a need for compromise and not every Haredi whim will be met.”
According to the IDF, an average of 1,200 Haredi men enlisted annually over the past four years, with a slight uptick in 2023. Nevertheless, the IDF remains 10,000 soldiers short of its targets. The ultra-Orthodox population, Israel’s fastest-growing demographic, is expected to reach 16% of the population by the decade’s end. The current exemption policy, devised when Israel’s population was far smaller, is increasingly untenable.
“This damages the democratic ability to enforce enlistment on the people as the principle of equality is violated,” said Hellinger. “If conscription is mandatory, while such a large chunk of the population is exempt, then a new law is needed.”
Israel’s security threats, including a potential conflict with Iran, add urgency to the debate.
“The army needs people to fill in the ranks,” Hellinger, a former ultra-Orthodox Jew himself, added. “The war changed everything, touching every part of society. For years, it was thought that the army could be downsized. But this is over now, and Israel is in a different situation.”
Within the Haredi community, some admit that young men are falsely registered as full-time religious students, receiving state funds without studying, serving, or working. Surveys estimate about 30% of Haredi men of conscription age fall into this category. Public patience among those serving, especially secular Jews, is wearing thin, and the war has only deepened the divide.
Efforts to negotiate with Haredi leaders have largely failed. With war pressures mounting, calls for sanctions against draft evasion have grown louder.
“Some sanctions already exist in the law, but new ones will be needed,” said Friedman. “Benefits need to be canceled, including benefits for housing which will be a very dramatic move. Public sentiment and resolve have changed—there is a will to send a message to the coalition that whoever supports a law of evasion will pay a political price.”
Israel’s internal conflict over conscription reflects broader divisions exacerbated by war.
Dialogue will not solve the problem. Sanctions will be needed because, in a matter of years, we will need thousands of soldiers every year and that will not come from dialogue and without a political solution.
“Dialogue will not solve the problem,” said Hellinger. “Sanctions will be needed because, in a matter of years, we will need thousands of soldiers every year and that will not come from dialogue and without a political solution. If Israel wants to survive, Haredi conscription is inevitable.”
