Draft Law

Livni Dissatisfied with Agreement on Hesder Track

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni says that soldiers in the hesder track should serve for the same length of time as hareidi soldiers.

Lapid to Hareidi Men: We Need You

Lapid tells hareidi men, ‘If Iran gets a nuclear bomb, it’s happening to you, too.’

Perry Committee: Treat Hareidi Men who Don’t Enlist as Criminals

Perry Committee votes for criminal sanctions for hareidi non-enlistment.

MK: Use Hareidi Money to Fund Soldiers

Former head of IDF Manpower: Instead of force, use hareidi money to reward soldiers. He rejects civilian service option.

MK Slams Lapid ‘Panic Attack’ on Economy

Labor MK slams Lapid as he drops planned meetings in favor of hareidi enlistment debate. ‘No celebrity discount.’

Yaalon: No to Forcing Hareidim, Arabs to Enlist

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon says “threats won't work,” hopes compromise wording will be found.

MKs Debate: What Does Torah Say about Enlistment?

Yesh Atid MK frustrated by what he calls ‘distortion of Torah,’ Shas MK argues, ‘Legislation won’t help.’

MK Eichler: Abolish Mandatory IDF Service

Cancellation of the mandatory service and turning the IDF into a professional army will end the "cultural war" against hareidim, says MK.

Netanyahu Asks Yaalon to Support New Draft Law

Prime Minister asks Defense Minister to support new draft law, despite his opposition to criminal sanctions against draft evaders.

Lapid: Equal Army Service or this Gov't is History

Finance Minister Yair Lapid flexes political muscle, calls on coalition partners to “stop playing this game.”

Yesh Atid Threatens to Bolt Coalition

Marathon ministerial discussion breaks up in disagreement over criminal sanctions against hareidim who do not enlist.

Perry Committee Ends Meeting Without Agreement

Late night meeting of the Perry Committee ends because of an argument over criminal sanctions against hareidim who evade service.

Yaalon: No to Sanctions on Hareidim

Defense Minister says drafting hareidim should be carried out gradually.

R. Yosef: G-d Will 'Thwart' Hareidi Draft Plan

Shas spiritual advisor and former Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef condemned the government for preparing to draft hareidi students

Ministers Expected to Oppose ‘Anti-Hareidi’ Perry Report

The Perry Committee’s recommendations are expected to face strong opposition. MK: It looks like an anti-hareidi campaign.

Ariel: Equal Burden Should Apply to Everyone, Arabs Too

Housing Minister Uri Ariel says his party intends to demand legislation be introduced requiring Arabs to enlist in the army.

MK: Hareidi Men Will Marry Young, Avoid Service

MK says proposed solution for hareidi military service will be no solution at all, thanks to early marriage in hareidi community.

Hareidi MKs Vow to Fight Enlistment Plan

"Draconian sanctions are ineffective and have no chance," says MK Moses.

Tens of Thousands of Hareidim Protest Enlistment

Eida Hareidit organizes rally near IDF enlistment center to fight against plans to enlist young men.

Aharonovich: Hareidi Enlistment in Under a Month

Minister of Internal Security anticipates fast decision on hareidi enlistment, calls for Arab service as well.

Chief Rabbi: Equal Burden of Service? Nonsense

Rabbi Shlomo Amar says talk of hareidi-religious enlistment is ‘nonsense.’

‘Equal Burden for Hareidi Men – What About Arabs?’

Deputy Defense Minister calls for Arabs, not just hareidi Jews, to bear burden of national defense.

Soldiers: Hareidi Jews Will be Pleasantly Surprised by IDF

Ministers meet with hareidi soldiers as they weigh options in IDF enlistment battle.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: The Greater Pain is Yeshiva Enlistment

Bereaved rabbi tells Prime Minister that he is pained by plans to require yeshiva students to enlist in the IDF.

Perry C'tee Convenes: 'We'll be Sensitive but Determined'

Minister Perry uses Disengagement slogan with regard to hareidi enlistment.

Bennett Threatened: 'You'll End Up Like Ariel Sharon'

Economics Minister Naftali Bennett recently received a threatening letter, apparently because of his plan to draft hareidi students

Paper Calls for Independent Hareidi Entity in Israel

As tension over IDF enlistment continues, hareidi daily proposes solving problem with hareidi autonomy.

Rabbi Shteinman: Everything Is For the Good

Hareidi leader says funding cuts, pressure over IDF enlistment will ultimately benefit the hareidi community.

Gafni: We Still Embrace Religious Zionists

Hareidi MK says hareidi world will ‘embrace’ religious Zionists, but will give religious-Zionist MKs a hard time.

Rabbi: Hareidi Enlistment ‘Not a Czarist Decree’

Rabbi Dov Lior says hareidi enlistment plans show unprecedented respect for Torah study, are not a ‘decree.’

Hareidi Enlistment Proposal Worries Activists

Pro-enlistment activists worry that Yesh Atid’s agreement on hareidi-religious army recruitment will have no real effect.

Bayit Yehudi Presents: The 'New Deal' on Yeshiva Student Drafts

The new coalition deal on equitable IDF service enhances the status of yeshiva students and the yeshiva world, Bayit Yehudi said

On Becoming Part of the Zionist State

Coalition Talks Continue into the Night

Progress was made on the issue of hareidi enlistment during the Netanyahu-Lapid-Bennett meeting. Negotiators to continue talking.

Netanyahu, Lapid & Bennett in Nighttime Meeting

Prime Minister reportedly trying to bridge gap between Bennett, Lapid on yeshiva students' enlistment.

Litzman: Hareidi-Haters Beginning the Demolition

Hareidi MK terms Naftali Bennett head of ‘axis of evil,’ warns ‘haters of religion’ will bring destruction.

Hareidi Parties: This is What We Get for Our Loyalty?

Hareidi MKs are up in arms over the impending deal between theLikud/Yisrael Beteinu, Yesh Atid and Jewish Home to form a government

Report: PM Ready to Offer Deal to Yesh Atid, Jewish Home

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is set to offer a coalition deal to Yesh Atid and Jewish Home, reports Thursday said

Rabbi Calls for 5-Day Torah Marathon to 'Cancel Decree'

Hareidi-religious leader Rabbi Shteinman calls for a five-day Torah study marathon “to cancel the decree.”

Report: Lapid and Bennett Draft New Hareidi Enlistment Outline

Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have drafted a new outline for enlistment of hareidim which they will present during coalition negotiations.

Purim ‘Thank You’ for Hareidi, Bedouin Soldiers

Pro-unity group gives Purim gifts to hareidi, Bedouin soldiers. The goal: to boost those already ‘sharing the burden.’

Bibi: ‘Do Whatever is Necessary’ to Bring Bayit Yehudi

Netanyahu has reportedly told his staff to do ‘whatever is necessary’ to get the Bayit Yehudi party to join his coalition.

Likud and United Torah Judaism Meet

The coalition negotiation teams of the Likud-Yisrael Beytenu and United Torah Judaism meet to discuss UTJ joining the government.

Rabbi Melamed: Don't Force Hareidim into Military

Dean of Beit El Yeshiva: financial sanctions and coerced enlistment will contribute nothing.

UTJ: Raze Settlements but Save our Yeshivas

Did Bayit Yehudi push hareidim too far? UTJ appears set to abandon right-wing posture.

Heated Emotions as Bennett Tours Mir Yeshiva

Bayit Yehudi head visits Israel's largest yeshiva, in a sign he means business regarding hareidi enlistment.

Hesder Rabbi: Support Hareidi Exemptions

Rabbi Avraham Baron said the National Religious community should support draft exemptions for hareidi yeshiva students - for its own good.

Bennett to Hareidi Jews: 'The Stretcher is Falling'

Naftali Bennett appeals to ‘hareidi brothers’: Torah study is critical, but hareidi Jews must enlist.

Rabbi Yosef Slams 'Yeshiva Hater' Lapid

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef slams Yesh Atid chairman, says he is "contemptible" and "hates yeshivas".

MK Ariel: Draft Evaders won't Face Criminal Charges

Bayit Yehudi MK says hareidi leaders are sowing unnecessary panic about plan to enlist yeshiva students.

‘Forced Hareidi Enlistment Means Rebellion, Chaos’

Forcing hareidi men to enlist in the IDF would mean rebellion and chaos on the streets of Israel, Shas leader says.

'IDF Must Keep its Promises - or Hareidi Soldiers Will Leave'

A rabbi who helped found an IDF unit for hareidi soldiers accuses the army of breaking its promises; warns hareidi Jews will leave.

Yishai to Zionist Rabbis: Save the Torah World

Eli Yishai of Shas defends his record on the land of Israel, seeks help from Bayit Yehudi.

MK: Want to Enlist Hareidim? Enlist Arabs, Too

Hareidi MKs say it’s discrimination to require hareidi scholars to enlist in the IDF without demanding the same of Israeli Arabs.

Bennett: Hareidim Are Our Brothers, Not Our Enemies

Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett said that his party was committed to ensuring that all who wanted to would be able to learn Torah.

Yishai Appeals to Jewish Home for Help on Hareidi Draft

Shas chairman MK Eli Yishai is convinced that Shas is going to find itself in the opposition

Netanyahu: 'No to Civil War'

Prime Minister's unusual allusion to civil war regarding hareidi enlistment issue may be a positive signal to hareidim.

Yesh Atid Throws Monkey Wrench into Hareidi Draft Compromise

Yesh Atid said Thursday that it would not accept a compromise plan to draft hareidi yeshiva students. Only their plan would do, they said

Leading Rabbi Warns: ‘Equal Burden’ Means More Work for All

Forcing hareidi men to join the army could become a burden, leading Zionist rabbi warns. He reveals an alternate idea.

Hareidi Parties Preparing for Opposition

"We will sit with Shelly Yechimovich in the opposition," says Shas's Aryeh Deri.