Israeli draft

Highway 4 opens to traffic following Haredi protests over IDF draft arrest

The demonstrations come amid heightened tensions surrounding the state’s policies on military conscription and ongoing failures in the rehabilitation of wounded veterans.

Highway 4 near the Coca-Cola Junction was blocked Thursday afternoon as hundreds of Haredi protesters took to the streets.
 Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, central Israel, April 28, 2025

Peleg Yerushalmi to hold protest, raffle for IDF draft dodgers

 ‘THE HAREDI leadership argues that it is forbidden to draft yeshiva students whose Torah is their profession and that they defend the State of Israel through their studies.’

IDF to summon over 50,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews in massive push for haredi draft

 A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish man holds a placard next to a police horse as he takes part in a protest against pressure to conscript into the military in Bnei Brak, Israel, June 5, 2025. The words in Hebrew read "We will not enlist in the enemy army."

Much ado about nothing: Coalition remains standing as core issues remain unsolved - analysis


Shas still trying to reach coalition agreement, rabbis' council head says

This comes after Rabbi Maya signed a letter on Monday opposing the conscription of any haredi individual, even those not studying in a yeshiva.

 Rabbi Moshe Maya speaks during a rally which marks one year since the death of Rabbi Shimon Hirari in Tel Aviv on February 28, 2016.

The haredi draft issue: A ticking time bomb for Israel's future - editorial

What’s been happening is that the same core domestic issue has been shoring up, threatening to break up nearly every coalition: religion and state.

 Ultra orthodox Jews clash with police during a protest against the drafting of ultra orthodox jews to the Israeli army, on road 4 near Bnei Brak, June 5, 2025.

Sanctions against draft-dodgers are ‘sparse,’ IDF says

Current sanctions against draft dodgers are “threadbare” and are not applying enough pressure on haredi men to respect draft orders.

 An illustrative image of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Israeli Jews near a sign for an IDF recruiting office.

A year of empty promises: Edelstein talks, but no draft law yet on haredi enlistment - opinion

MK Yuli Edelstein has spent a year holding talks on ultra-Orthodox enlistment without delivering a draft law, exposing a gap between his rhetoric and real progress.

A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked traffic and the light rail  in Jerusalem demonstrating against a Haredi draft into the IDF. February 26, 2024.

IDF Chief Zamir orders new maximal drafting of haredim to help war effort

Zamir has emphasized the shift to sending a draft notice to every 16.5-year-old haredi male, something which has generally not been done in the past.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir speaks during an event for outstanding soldiers as part of Israel's 77th Independence Day celebrations, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on May 1, 2025.

Bennett slams draft dodging by Israeli leaders, calls for 'covenant of service'

"Inside a tank in Gaza, there is no Right or Left, no secular or religious. There is only unity of purpose: to bring the hostages home and defeat Hamas," said Bennett.

 Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks during the Israel Information Technology Conference in Ness Ziona, May 5, 2025.

IDF begins fresh draft cycle of recruitment for combat units

According to the IDF’s data, 59.79% of the draftees are men, and 40.21% are women, with an average age of 18.95 years. 

 ISRAELI SOLDIERS pray at the Western Wall.

Giving credit where its due: The bravery to break party lines and stand alone - editorial

MK Dan Ilouz, a Likud backbencher, was willing to break party ranks when he called to end the haredi draft exemption.

 Religious IDF Israeli soldiers pray during a training of the Ultra Orthodox Unit at the Givati Brigade near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, September 27, 2017.

This week in Jewish history: The start of the IDF draft and the Daf Yomi cycle

A highly abridged version of the daily Dust & Stars.

 CELEBRATING SIYUM HASHAS, the completion of the ‘Daf Yomi,’ a seven-and-a-half-year cycle of studying the Talmud, at Har Etzion Yeshiva.

Haredim break into Tel Hashomer base to protest IDF draft

Border Police and the Israel Police forcefully attempted to disperse the crowd on horseback. 

 Ultra orthodox Jews clash with police during a protest against the drafting of ultra orthodox jews to the Israeli army, outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, in central Israel, August 6, 2024.

IDF begins draft of summer cycle amid ongoing war

Thousands of new recruits are set to start military service soon, with special measures are in place to support those affected by the war.

IDF Recruitment.