Draft Law

Shas MK attacks Deputy AG: 'He is behind sanctions on haredim'

Shas MK Yinon Azoulay slams Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon, says his superior 'does his will,' warns, 'Do not raise a hand against Torah Jews.'

Religious Zionism demands revision of haredi law

Finance Minister Smotrich announced that his party will oppose any wording that equates yeshiva students with IDF service members. The Government Secretary announced that the clause will be removed from the law.

Haredim angered by Smotrich's support for the draft

Haredi sources expressed disappointment at Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's refusal to advance measures that would benefit tens of thousands of conscription-eligible individuals.

Heritage Minister:

'Without the Torah we have no right to exist'

Minister Amichai Eliyahu spoke out in favor of the exemption of Yeshiva students from the draft - as long as they are genuinely studying Torah.

Haredi rabbi speaks out against mass protests

Rabbi Avraham Salim, leading Sephardic-haredi rabbi, tells haredi yeshiva students to stay away from protests, warning they detract from Torah study and accustom participants to violence.

Haredi MKs spark firestorm with visit to draft dodgers

MKs Aryeh Deri and Yitzhak Goldknopf visited detained haredim who refused to enlist. Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the visit, calling it a disgrace and lack of awareness to the public.

Demand to block warning lines for haredi draft evaders

A Tel Aviv council member has asked the Attorney General and the police commissioner to open an investigation and order the blocking of phone alert lines allegedly used to thwart arrests of haredi draft evaders.

Deri: 'UTJ won't break up right-wing bloc'

Aryeh Deri rejected the claim that the haredi parties had pushed for a sweeping exemption from military service for Haredim.

Minister: 'I'm not willing to have a fake law'

Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer slams haredi leadership, says he won't support Draft Law that doesn't lead to real enlistment.

Haredi rabbi denounces haredi MKs

Rabbi Eliyahu Pinhasi issued harsh criticism of haredi Knesset members, claiming that for years they did not manage to regularize the status of yeshiva students.

Religious Zionist rabbis demand: Pass the Draft Law

Rabbi David Fendel and Rabbi Dror Aryeh urge coalition MKs to show 'national responsibility' and complete Draft Law legislative process.

Haredi rabbi answers:

What blessing do you say when you're arrested?

Rabbi Moshe Brandsdorfer issued a halachic ruling addressing how yeshiva students should respond when arrested over enlistment.

Security guard arrested after throwing stones at protest

Police opened an investigation after footage showed several people on the roof of a Jerusalem hotel throwing stones at haredi protesters on the nearby road.

New economic blow on haredi men evading military conscription

Gil Limon instructs Interior Ministry's legal adviser to continue advancing cancellation of municipal tax discounts for draft evaders, determines ministry’s position does not comply with High Court of Justice rulings.

Could haredi consumers cost Israel's biggest firms millions?

UTJ is examining targeted consumer boycotts of major companies, aiming to leverage haredi purchasing power as economic pressure.

Elkin insists: No chance of passing Draft Law

Minister Ze'ev Elkin says no chance of passing Draft Law before Knesset dissolves - but does not believe center-left can work with haredi parties.

Haredi rabbi declares draft dodger 'partner to God'

A yeshiva student from Har Nof who served twenty days in military detention for refusing to report to the recruitment office was received on Friday evening at the home of one of the leading rabbis in the haredi community.

Shas issues ultimatum to next government

Shas MK Erez Malul lays down an unequivocal condition ahead of post-election coalition talks: Haredi parties will not join any government until the legal status of yeshiva students is anchored in a "fortified and robust" law.

Likud MK: 'Daycare bill bypasses need to enlist'

'Daycare bill' aiming to ensure Supreme Court cannot strip yeshiva students' families of daycare subsidies passes preliminary reading.

IDF reveals: Spike in haredi enlistment

IDF publishes new data showing record number of haredi recruits, combat soldiers.

Bill to dissolve Knesset to be brought for first reading

Coalition chairman Ofir Katz says bill to dissolve 25th Knesset to be brought for vote on Monday.

Democrats chairman won't rule out coalition with haredim

MK Yair Golan, head of Israel's 'Democrats' party, says he is willing to sit with haredim in government, insists there is no way to enlist thousands of haredim immediately.

MK Bitan: This Is the only dispute left with the haredi parties

Economic Affairs Committee chairman MK David Bitan claims that the primary disagreement currently separating the Likud and the haredi parties is the date of the next elections.

Degel HaTorah to oppose Netanyahu's draft bill

Sources in the haredi Degel HaTorah faction clarified tonight (Sunday) to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the faction will not support passing the draft bill before the elections.

Proposed bill to benefit haredi draft evaders

If passed, the new law would require a special area of military prisons to be set aside for detainees with specific faith-based needs.

Haredi MK to Supreme Court justice: 'Who are you, anyway?'

Haredi MK Meir Porush slams judicial system's 'despotism,' condemning hatred 'dripping between the lines' of every legal decision.

IDF: 7,000 combat soldiers needed immediately

IDF warns of manpower shortage, bereaved father urges Draft Law to heal rift in nation.

Bill to dissolve Knesset passes preliminary reading

Knesset plenum approves bill to dissolve itself in preliminary vote, with 110 MKs in favor and no abstentions or votes opposed.

Demand filed to release haredi deserters for the holiday

Haredi leaders insist that Yeshiva students arrested for failing to report for duty in the IDF be allowed to go home for the holiday of Shavuot.

Deputy Minister warns:

The haredim will pay a heavy price for toppling the government

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharon Haskel stands by her oppoistion of the currently proposed draft bill and predicts that the haredi parties will suffer in the next election if they topple the government.

Police commissioner orders officers to detain draft dodgers

A new police directive orders officers to detain draft dodgers until Military Police arrive, drawing fierce criticism from Shas.

Smotrich sets condition:

'Draft law must ensure those who don't study enlist'

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich set a key condition for advancing the military draft law: a clear declaration from the haredi leadership that “whoever is not studying Torah must enlist."

Haredi MK promises: We will vote to dissolve the Knesset

MK Yitzhak Pindrus says Degel Hatorah faction will vote to dissolve the Knesset, says 'time will tell' if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is serious about Draft Law.

Dudi Amsalem:

'Without the Torah, there is no Nation of Israel'

Minister Amsalem launches a fierce attack on the left, claiming they employ anti-democratic methods. On the judicial reform, he vows: "We will push it through, by both force and intellect."

UTJ MK:

Shortage of soldiers? Just politics

MK Meir Porush launched criticized the IDF after the military published data showing a shortage of roughly 12,000 conscript soldiers.

“Political games"

Coalition crisis over the draft law intensifies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reportedly try to submit the military draft law proposal to committee discussions in an effort to calm tensions within the coalition.

Haredi party rejects Netanyahu offer, pushes to dissolve Knesset

Degel Hatorah party rejects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to amend the Continuity Law, saying it will not support 'futile actions intended to buy time' on the Draft Law.

Shas chief sets condition for joining the next government

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri demands progress on Draft Law, regulation of yeshiva students' status, before the formation of the next coalition.

Opposition pulls bills from Knesset schedule

Knesset opposition parties clear plenum schedule in protest move, urge focus on dissolution and early elections.

Haredi journalism declares end to Netanyahu alliance

Haredi newspapers launch coordinated attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after collapse of trust over Draft Law crisis.

Haredi parties rejected earlier proposal for military draft

Haredi lawmakers reportedly rejected an earlier deal that could have eased Israel’s draft crisis, amid renewed coalition tensions over conscription legislation.

Edelstein

'My replacement did not advance the Draft Law - he buried it'

MK Yuli Edelstein responded to Rabbi Dov Lando's decision to run for election, claiming that he had warned in advance that replacing him as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee would bury the draft law.

Haredi Draft:

Degel HaTorah threatens to dissolve the Knesset

A sharp confrontation developed between the prime minister and the Degel HaTorah faction after Netanyahu asked the party to postpone advancing the draft law until after the elections.

'Imprisoned Torah scholar' spotted vacationing in Thailand

A photo circulated on social media of a young man who was arrested at Ben-Gurion Airport a year ago and whose arrest prompted protests calling for his release, shows him vacationing in Thailand.

MPs retreat after trying to arrest Yeshiva student

Military Police forces left empty-handed in Dimona without carrying out the arrest after a protest broke out.

'No ceasefire'

Chief of Staff: IDF not ordered to disarm Hezbollah

IDF Chief Eyal Zamir warned of reserve force strain, discussed Iran strike limits, and said the army is ready to resume fighting.

Smotrich to Gafni: We don't need your approval

Smotrich defended Minister Ofir Sofer after Gafni’s criticism, urging haredim not studying Torah to enlist in the IDF.

Haredi draft crisis: Porush calls for US pressure on Israel

MK Meir Porush urges the Trump administration to pressure Israel to stop arrests of haredi draft evaders, claims that, in contrast to the US, Israel acts 'in ways of persecution against yeshiva students.'

Lithuanian haredi leader withdraws opposition to the Draft Law

Lithuanian haredi leader Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch has withdrawn his opposition to advancing the Draft Law, following a period in which he froze the move over concerns it would harm yeshiva students.

Draft saga:

Attempt to arrest haredi draft dodger in Dimona fails

The Military Police attempted to arrest a Gerrer yeshiva student in Dimona after he was declared a draft evader. Forces arrived at his home, but he did not open the door.

Netanyahu's request from the haredi parties

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked haredi parties to put Draft Law on back burner, report says.

Outrageous statement:

Haredi mother sparks controversy

Rivki Blau, a Haredi owner of a beauty salon, sparks controversy after hinting in an interview that she would prefer her son to die rather than become secular.

Haredi leaders warn against haredi IDF service tracks

Dozens of Lithuanian-haredi yeshiva deans join conference warning of spiritual danger in joining IDF; letter warns that 'one who goes there hands himself over to the control and authority of the military rulership.'

'Pioneers Writing History':

Manpower Directorate chief meets with haredi recruits

Major General Dado Bar-Kalifa visited the recruitment office at Tel Hashomer and met dozens of young haredim who enlisted for combat service to commend them on enlisting despite the challenges.

Protests, roadblocks, clashes following arrest of draft evaders

Hundreds of Jerusalem Faction activists block Highway 4 near Bnei Brak in protest against the renewed arrests of draft evaders from military service.

Stronger sanctions against haredim? Government ministries object

All objections are concerned about harm to privacy and fundamental rights, as well as significant doubts about the ability of the proposed measures to actually increase enlistment in practice.

Rabbi Lando:

'Yeshiva students will not join the army under any circumstances'

Haredi community leader Rabbi Dov Lando declared in his speech at the Ponovezh Yeshiva that yeshiva students will not join the army under any circumstances, whether there is a conscription law or not.

The IDF's unusual response to the Cabinet Secretary

The IDF issued an unusual clarification after the Cabinet Secretary's remarks, emphasizing that the Chief of Staff did not express support for a specific conscription law but rather presented the need for a broad legislative response to the needs of the army.

Violent clashes break out at Jerusalem Draft Office

Dozens of violent protesters attempt to break security barriers, hurl objects at security forces; policewoman attacked by protester.

IDF Spokesman:

No prior indication of massive barrage on northern Israel

Shortly after Hezbollah launched dozens of missiles and drones at northern Israel, IDF Spokesman Defrin clarified that the IDF had no warning of the barrage.