Inside the Ultra-Orthodox Fight Against Israel’s Draft

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews are angry. For the first time in decades, the community known as the Haredim is being called to serve in the country’s military. Their enlistment has become one of the most divisive political debates in the country. At the heart of the debate is the community’s size. The Haredim’s population has surged in recent decades, and their numbers keep increasing. It’s a big day for Binyamin Pappenheim. His granddaughter is getting married. For the ultra-Orthodox, starting a family is an act of faith. Pappenheim himself has 67 grandchildren. When Israel was created in 1948, the country’s secular leadership wanted the Haredim’s backing for the nascent state. The government largely exempted them from mandatory military service and gave them funding to study religion full time. The Haredim were a small community then but have since increased to make up nearly 14 percent of the population. As their numbers grew, so did resentment among other Israelis forced to serve in the military. Then, in 2024, against the backdrop of multiple conflicts, including the war in Gaza, the Supreme Court canceled the exemption. The Haredim were furious, but their anger hasn’t stopped the draft notices. Pappenheim is an activist with Am Kadosh, one of the Haredi organizations leading the opposition to conscription. “We all need to share the same rights and same burdens.” Like many other non-Haredi Jewish Israelis, Liat Weiss Shahaf is frustrated by how few of the ultra-Orthodox have enlisted so far. For the former soldier, the issue is personal. Her 17-year-old daughter Ella is months away from joining the ranks. “For us, for an Israeli to send their child to the army is kind of complex feeling, because we believe that this is our circle of security and this is the army of the people. Everyone should serve, and they are not doing that, so it’s a kind of feeling of betrayal.” Young Haredi students are gathering tonight to hear from Yehuda Bloy, the leader of Am Kadosh. The young men are nervous. Several members of the community have already been arrested for resisting the draft. A few students argue that serving in the military wouldn’t require giving up on what it means to be Haredi. But Bloy is unconvinced. Israel is heading toward a legislative election in 2026, and the growing Haredi voice will be a decisive factor. The community wants to present a united front by organizing the largest protest of its kind in years.