Israeli draft

'Abandoning values': Yoaz Hendel accuses Religious Zionist Party of encouraging mass draft evasion

The former minister rejected reliance on Arab and haredi parties, called for a broad Zionist government, and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should leave office.

Reservists Party leader Yoaz Hendel presents national PTSD recovery plan after October 7, May 10, 2026.
Maj.-Gen. David (Dado) Bar Kalifa, Head of the Manpower Directorate attends a State Control Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on September 17, 2025.

Mandatory service extension will not solve army manpower crisis, head of IDF personnel warns

 Haredi men are seen protesting the effort to draft ultra-Orthodox Israelis into the IDF.

Over 70 mayors, council leaders file petition against haredi draft exemption law

Amid reports that the Shas Party could be willing to sit with him in government, Yashar Party head Gadi Eisenkot did not rule out that option entirely. Here, Eisenkot attends the Sagi Laws for Equality Confrence at the Peres Center in Jaffa earlier this week.

Why Gadi Eisenkot is rejecting the haredi political embrace that once helped Netanyahu win


IDF reservists call to investigate US funding promoting draft-dodging

“It is our belief that the direct financing of activities that endorse draft dodging is unacceptable, especially between respectable allies and friends like the United States and Israel.”

IDF soldiers participating in the Or HaDagan Northern Command drill, September, 2017.

Students pen letter refusing draft: IDF implements policy of racist gov't

The students called on other youth to question and refuse enlistment in the IDF.

A conscript displays his identifying dog tag at the Tel Hashomer Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Recruitment Center near Tel Aviv March 14, 2010.

WATCH: Police suppress Haredi draft protest with skunk water, force

Police have employed skunk water and other physical methods to disperse the crowds and have arrested at least 25 men so far.

Ultra-Orthodox protestors of the draft are sprayed with water canons in Bnei Brak

Police: We handled haredi draft protesters carefully and cautiously

90 of the 120 men arrested have been released, though smaller-scale demonstrations have continued.

Police arrest a haredi man protesting against the drafting of ultra-Orthodox into the IDF, October 2017

September 17, 2017: Torah and the draft

Reuven Hammer makes it clear that Jewish law not only fails to exempt Torah students from serving in a national Jewish army, but clearly makes it mandatory.

Letters

Comment: Employment springboard- how haredi men benefit from IDF service

It is true that the Israeli army is not meeting its induction goals.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews attend a protest against a law calling for members of their community to serve in the army, in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood December 22, 2015.

Canadian immigrant outside IDF enlistment center demands to serve

31-year-old Lionel Kalles has been told his Hebrew is too weak to join the army.

31 year old Lionel Kalles is standing outside the IDF induction center in Ramat Gan with a sign calling on the army to let him serve.

Haredi MKs to support sanctions against anti-conscription incitement

The incitement campaign has been led by the Jerusalem Faction,a group that has virulently and oftentimes violently opposed any haredi conscription to the IDF whatsoever.

United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in New York protest IDF draft law

Anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic group joins Israeli Orthodox in campaign against Orthodox conscription into the IDF.

Orthodox anti-draft rally Barclays Center

Drastic fall in haredim serving in civilian service

The severe shortfall in the numbers of haredi men enlisting to the civilian service is likely due to the fact that some 30,000 haredi men aged 22 to 26 were given an immediate exemption.

Haredi students in classroom