Draft Law

Hareidi Soldiers Say Other Hareidim Abuse Them

Hareidi soldiers are suffering assaults and abuse from members of their own communities. It's linked to the draft law, IDF officials say.

Hareidim in New York Protest Draft Law

Thousands of hareidim gathered in Manhattan to protest against the new Israeli draft law which will force yeshiva students to enlist.

Clip Returns Fire On 'Official' Hareidi Protest Video

New clip flips propaganda video around, shows hareidi soldiers juxtaposed with 'worthless pursuits' of hareidi protesters.

Rabbi Calls on Hareidi Community to Thank Jewish Home

Rabbi Ya'akov Medan, in Arutz Sheva interview, notes Jewish Home campaigned to protect hareidi sector, should not be incited against.

MK Reveals Jewish Home’s ‘Hidden’ Pro-Hareidi Work

Jewish Home MK recounts victories in battle to make enlistment law more hareidi-friendly.

Hareidi Protest Clip Targets Soldiers, Causes Ire

'Official clip' of hareidi anti-enlistment protest suggests serving national security is a 'worthless pursuit.'

Foreign Ministry: Chabad ‘Civilian Service’ is Illegal

Ministry rejects Shaked Committee’s plan to count Chabad emissaries toward ‘hareidi service’ goal.

'A Mandatory Draft is a Waste'

Israeli Freedom Movement leader Boaz Arad speaks to Arutz Sheva about the draft - and why he believes it should be abolished for everyone.

Podcast: Diverse Voices Speak Out on Massive Draft Rally

Hear exclusive coverage from the scene of the massive 'Ateres' prayer vigil plus phone calls from concerned Israelis.

US Hareidi Leader: IDF Enlistment is Inevitable

The hareidi political establishment is proud of Sunday's mass rally, but hareidi leaders in the US aren't so sure it was a good thing.

Gantz: IDF Soldiers Can Live Full Religious Lifestyles

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz visits with troops of the Nachal Hareidi, while hareidi groups demonstrate in Jerusalem.

Watch: Hareidi Mass-Prayer Rally Ends With Shema Recital

This is what one of the largest-ever Jewish prayer sessions looks and feels like.

Opposition Leader Says Hareidi Enlistment Being Mishandled

Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog criticizes aggressive implementation of hareidi draft law, says more dialogue necessary.

Bereaved Mother: Don't Insult My Son By Participating in Protest

Hagit Rein, mother of IDF soldier Benaya Rein H”yd, said that religious Zionists had no place in the mass hareidi rally against the draft

Edelstein: Draft Causing a Rift Among Israelis

MK Yuli Edelstein expressed fears that the draft bill requiring hareidi students to serve in the IDF may cause a major rift among Israelis.

Hundreds of Thousands at Hareidi Anti-Enlistment Rally

Entrance to Jerusalem is blocked by huge hareidi prayer rally against the law that will punish hareidi men who do not enlist.

Rabbi Ronsky: Cannot Understand Those Going to Protest

Rabbi Avihai Ronsky, former IDF Chief Rabbi, said Sunday that Religious Zionists had no place at Sunday's mass hareidi protest

Jerusalem Gearing Up for 'Million Man March'

Police, Magen David Adom, Hatzalah prepare for 'million man march' against draft. Public transport to come to a halt.

Association of Community Rabbis Skips March Over Incitement

Group headed by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu cancels plans to attend until Yated Ne'eman retracts incitement against Religious Zionist leader.

Prayer Rally or Demonstration of Hate?

While official organizers of today's 'million man march' claim it's a prayer rally, hareidi newspaper headline shows otherwise.

Mass Hareidi Rally ‘Like a Purim Play’

MK Feiglin on why Yair Lapid ‘is the best thing to happen to hareidi Jews.’

Rabbi: Break the Wall Isolating Hareidi Community

Rabbi Zalman Melamed: we want unity with hareidi community, but first they need to end the disrespect.

Bennett: Torah Students Will Not Go to Jail, Period

Economy Minister says the planned hareidi rally against the new draft law is unnecessary. "Military service is a mitzvah, not a decree."

Religious Zionist Leader 'Shocked and Outraged' by Hareidi Rally

Another respected Religious Zionist joins the chorus of calls against the hareidi rally Sunday.

Hareidim Threaten Mass Exodus from Israel if Draft Law Passes

The Belz Hassidic community is threatening a "mass emigration from Israel" if hareidim are forced to join the army.

'We Are a Lighthouse in a Very Turbulent Storm'

Economics Minister Naftali Bennett rejects EU boycotts, the idea of land for peace, and complaints against the hareidi draft.

Hareidi Soldier Excels in Officers' Course

Nahal Hareidi soldier receives excellence award in officers' course, adding to the unit's long list of successes.

Rabbi, Students: No Place for Zionists at Hareidi Rally

Yeshiva students, former IDF Chief Rabbi, urge religious-Zionists who are planning to attend hareidi rally to reconsider.

Mammoth Hareidi Protest Planned for Sunday

No vehicles will be allowed to proceed toward Jerusalem from Latrun, from 1:00 p.m. onward.

MKs’ Wives to Sarah Netanyahu: Be Our Esther

Wives of hareidi MKs urge Sarah Netanyahu to sway her husband’s heart regarding hareidi enlistment.

Hareidi Rabbi: We’ll Fight Like in Ukraine

Rabbi compares enlistment protests to Ukraine riots. Pro-enlistment activist: Let hareidi Jews vent their upset.

'Threats on My Life Don't Scare Me'

Yair Lapid issues statement on death threats, stresses that disagreements with the hareidi community are 'between brothers,' 'out of love.'

Police Investigate Incitement Against Lapid, Bennett

Police Chief warns that hareidi death-threats taken 'very seriously'; Science Minister asks Shin Bet, Public Security Ministry to step in.

'Lapid Will Be Murdered Like Rabin'

Attorney Rabbi Halbertal quotes warnings Lapid will be murdered by a hareidi for relentless pursuit of hareidi enlistment.

IDF ‘Deathly Afraid’ of Hareidi Enlistment, MK Accuses

Yesh Atid MK accuses IDF of avoiding hareidi enlistment; MKs seek to define ‘hareidi’ for new law.

Arutz Sheva Exclusive

Deal Between Likud and Yesh Atid

Netanyahu supported criminal sanctions on hareidi evaders of army service in exchange for the appointment of MK Hanegbi to key committee.

Anti-Draft Groups Show Lapid and Bennett as Talmud-Burning Nazis

A mock-up photo of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid dressed up as Nazi officers and burning the Talmud was distributed on social networks

Shaked Committee Debates: Who is a Hareidi Jew?

Can the State determine a person's religiosity? MKs grapple with the issue.

23,000 Hareidim to Hit the Job Market Within Months

Economics Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday led a round-table discussion on the employment situation in the hareidi community.

Netanyahu Stresses Unity, Action Against Iran in Cabinet Meeting

Prime Minister opens his weekly cabinet meeting stressing unity - both of the Jewish people at home, and of the West against Iran.

'We Will Fight Until the Death'

Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach declares intense opposition to hareidi draft law at anti-draft rally, encourages followers 'not to surrender.'

'No Hareidi Draft Dodger is Going to Jail'

Former IDF Chief Rabbi Avihai Rontzki insists that enacting criminal sanctions for hareidi draft-dodgers is a mere formality.

Likud MK: Time for Arabs to Enlist, Too

Chair of Knesset's Interior Committee says after hareidi enlistment, it's time for Arabs to serve the country, too.

MK Shelah: Ben Gurion Made a Big Mistake Exempting Hareidim

Imposing criminal sanctions on hareidi draft dodgers will help 'correct a historical mistake,' says Yesh Atid MK Ofer Shelah.

Pro-Enlistment Group Says Current Measures Don't Go Far Enough

Lapid criticized for 'misleading' Israelis into believing that the 'equal service' issue had been resolved; 50,000 hareidim 'still exempt'.

Chief Rabbis Show Their Support for Hesder Yeshivas

Chief Rabbis Yitzchak Yosef and David Lau this week visited various Hesder yeshivas showing their support for a much maligned institution

Exclusive A7 interview

Peres: The Goal - Keeping Israel Jewish

Peres in exclusive interview to Arutz Sheva on peace talks, hareidi enlistment.

Hareidi Media Reacts as Sanctions Voted In

Headlines proclaim a ‘black day for the Jewish state,’ ‘persecution of the Torah world’ as MKs vote to punish students for non-enlistment.

IDF Widow MK Called ‘Enemy of Israel’ in Enlistment Debate

MK slammed as ‘enemy’ by hareidi extremists reacts, ‘Someone needs to end this anti-Semitism’.

Approved: Criminal Sanctions for Hareidi Draft Dodgers

Shaked Committee approves criminal sanctions on hareidim who evade army service. MK Yogev demands a re-vote.

'Netanyahu Deceived Us'

Hareidi MK spits fire at the Prime Minister over criminal sanctions enactment in interview to Arutz Sheva.

Hesder Track won't be Harmed

Shaked Committee voting on hareidi enlistment. Hesder yeshiva track will include 17 months' army service.

'They Insult Our Rabbis, and We Remain Silent'

Jewish Home MK blasts hareidi Knesset MKs over 'ingratitude' to Jewish Home, Religious Zionist community.

Hareidi MKs: Fire Bank of Israel Head for 'False Accusations'

Dr. Karnit Flug takes flak for saying that the growing number of hareidim is a factor in market slowdown.

Hareidi Enlistment

Criminal Sanctions for Hareidi Draft-Dodgers - After 6 Months

The Shaked Committee reaches a compromise on hareidi draft-dodgers.

Shas Quits Shaked Committee Over Criminal Sanctions

Shas resigns from the committee working on the new draft law, cites disagreements regarding sanctions on hareidi draft evaders.

Commentator Calls for ‘Funerals in Bnei Brak’

Controversy on Channel 2 as commentator says he wants to see dead soldiers from Bnei Brak.

Hareidi Enlistment

Netanyahu: Jews Won’t Go to Jail for Learning Torah

Prime Minister comes out against criminal sanctions on hareidi enlistment. ‘I won’t be a part of sending Jews to jail for Torah study.’

MKs Mull Compromise on Criminal Sanctions for Non-Enlisters

MK Omer Bar Lev floats plan that would postpone implementation of law on hareidi enlistment by a year.

Hareidi Activists: Say No to Soldier Costumes

Will hareidi boys no longer dress up as IDF soldiers? Activists argue that popular costumes ‘won’t bring joy’ this Purim.