Draft Law

'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.

Victory for Zionist Yeshivas: State Recognizes Torah Study

First official state recognition of the value of Torah study as Zionist yeshiva students allowed to continue studies.

Feiglin: Lapid’s ‘Contribution’ was a Loss to Army

MK Feiglin slams equal service ‘stupidity,’ warns of ‘hidden unemployment’ that drains IDF’s power.

MK Lipman Urges Criminal Sanctions for Hareidi Draft-Dodging

MK Dov Lipman supports criminal sanctions for hareidi draft-dodgers, asks: why should they be different from anyone else?

MK Shelah: Only We Had the Guts to Propose Service Cut

Yesh Atid MK Ofer Shelah praises the IDF's decision to cut army service from 36 to 32 months.

Bennett: We're Making History

Jewish Home chairman hails the new draft law as “an historic change”. Shaked Committee to begin voting Monday on new draft law.

Wortzman: Coalition Agreement Says No Criminal Sanctions

Deputy Education Minister reminds Lapid that he agreed not to impose criminal sanctions on hareidi draft evaders.

Finance Committee Chairman: We Will Stop Lapid

MK Slomiansky warns Lapid is attacking hareidim and Judea-Samaria to gain in polls, threatens to stop budget to release yeshiva funds.

MK Lipman: Draft Law Will Unify the Nation

MK Dov Lipman discussed the new law on equitable IDF service with soldiers, and came away very optimistic.

IDF Soldier Attacked In Bnei Brak

Days after massive hareidi protest of yeshiva funding cuts, soldier attacked and sent to hospital. Follows hareidi MK warnings to Lapid.

MK Stern: We Hope Hareidim Will Live Up to Their Obligations

MK Elazar Stern says discussions about 'sanctions' by MKs dealing with drafting hareidi youth are unnecessary.

Zionist, Hareidi Yeshivas Join Forces to Fight Funding Cuts

Associations for Yeshivas across the religious spectrum join to petition High Court to cancel funding cuts for Torah study.

Hareidi MKs to Lapid: Go Ahead, Quit

"We would be delighted if Lapid resigns from the government," says MK Moses in response to Finance Minister's threats.

Lapid: No Criminal Sanctions on Hareidim, No Coalition

Lapid says new enlistment law will pass, demands it include punishment. On peace talks, 'after evictions we'll all be different people.'

170 Hareidi Soldiers Sworn In Amid Protests

170 new hareidi soldiers join the Nahal Hareidi, as thousands protest new draft law and cutting of funding to yeshivas.

Legal Expert: Draft Law 'Shameful, Scandalous' - and Ineffective

Attorney Yoram Sheftel slams the Equal Burden Law calling for hareidi draft, claims it will encourage more men to dodge the draft.

Protest Video: 'We'll Survive Our Stupid Country'

Hareidi MK warns pressuring of hareidim will lead to extremism, accuses Lapid of playing with fire for political gain.

Hareidim Burn Police Car in Ashdod

Video shows hareidim torching squad car as thousands of hareidim protest in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Ashdod.

Hareidi Politician: Protests weren't our Idea

Rabbi Auerbach acted on his own when he gave instructions to demonstrate, says a UTJ source.

Hareidim Protest Yeshiva Funding Freeze: 'We're Ready for War'

Thousands of hareidim take to the streets in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak over freezing yeshiva funding, decry 'spiritual holocaust'.

Yeshiva Head Says Lapid Funding Cut Shows True Intentions

Rabbi Ronsky: Lapid’s stance on yeshiva budgets - including those whose students enlisted - brings his intent into question.

Shas MK Slams ‘Outrageous Persecution’ of Yeshivas

MK Nissim Ze'ev urges gov't to reconsider, says hareidi army service can happen ‘without or sanctions.’

Lapid Retroactively Cuts Yeshiva Funding

Lapid utilizes technicality to take back February funding and ensure Supreme Court ruling against hareidi yeshivas is carried out.

Hareidi MK: Supreme Court 'Declared War On Us'

MK Gafni charges Supreme Court of 'never ruling in favor of hareidi public,' sees recent ruling against yeshiva funding as 'culture war.'

Lapid Lauds Supreme Court Ruling Against Yeshivas

Court decision to annul funding for yeshivas a 'reminder of the law' says Lapid; MK Shaked calls ruling meaningless pressure.

Bennett: Court’s Intervention Just Makes This Harder

Minister Naftali Bennett says the Supreme Court is making it harder, not easier, to enlist hareidi men in the army.

Anti-Hareidi Activists Hail Court Ruling to Defund Yeshivas

Proponents of hareidi enlistment say Supreme Court 'put an end to the injustice' of funding yeshivas whose students don't serve in IDF.

Supreme Court: No Govt. Funds if Hareidi Students Don’t Enlist

Supreme Court rules government must not fund yeshivas for students who have not enlisted in the IDF.

Bennett: Jewish Home Could Leave Coalition Over Kerry Plan

Bennett rejects coalition 'soap opera,' says will leave coalition if peace deal doesn't meet his party's values.

Yaalon: Hareidi Brigade Successful Beyond Expectations

Defense Minister praises majority-hareidi brigade on its anniversary.

Slashed Hareidi Budgets Blamed on ‘Fundamental Hate’

Hareidi MK: decision to cut budgets for hareidi men – while funding draft dodgers – proves the real problem is hatred.

Supreme Court Pushes Govt. To Enlist Hareidim

Judges demand govt. speed up legislative proceedings in drafting new hareidi IDF enlistment law.

Lapid: Fire the Chief Rabbis

Finance Minister promises to fire Israel's chief rabbis over ruling that Jewish law forbids religious girls from enlisting in the IDF.

Chabad 'Shluchim' to Join National Service Program

Chabad emissaries who serve in Chabad houses worldwide, will be enrolled in the state's National Service program.