In the news
On 11 June, the “extremist” Jerusalem Faction called for demonstrations in Central Israel following the transfer of custody of 19 “draft dodgers” from the police to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). These dodgers were arrested after a demonstration by the ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) outside the home of Supreme Court Deputy Chief Noam Sohlberg turned into a riot with protestors causing extensive property damage while attempting to break in.
On 15 June, dozens of “extremist” Haredim demonstrators gathered outside the residence of Supreme Court President Isaac Amit to protest the arrest of a Haredi draft dodger.
On 17 June, clashes between the police and Haredim protesters turned violent in central Israel. On 19 June, the Israeli media reported that “Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rioters” had blocked traffic and set fire near Shabbat Square in Jerusalem, leading to the arrest of two people.
Issues at large
1. Differing rules on mandatory military service
In Israel, each citizen who is either “Jewish, Druze, or Circassian” is supposed to compulsorily serve in the military from the age of 18; however, Druze and Circassian women are exempt. Men are mandated to serve for about three years and women for at least two years, with additional reserve duty until the age of 40. Palestinian citizens of Israel, Muslim or Christian, are not obligated to join the military. Young ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who study the Torah full-time in seminaries have been historically exempt under a special arrangement under the principle of torato umanuto (which means “Torah study is his job”) while young ultra-Orthodox Jewish women are completely exempt. These different rules and exemptions have long irked the secular Jews.
2. Blanket exemption for Ultra-Orthodox Jews
Following the formation of Israel in 1948, the then PM had exempted around 400 senior students of the community so they could “study and preserve sacred Jewish knowledge and traditions.” Over the years, this exemption has been extended under various laws, while their population has grown exponentially due to a higher birthrate (currently accounts for about 13 percent of the population); however, their enlistment remains very low. Due to these demographic changes and the compounding economic cost, there have been increasing calls for the removal of this exemption.
3. Removal of exemption by the Supreme Court.
In June 2025, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled unanimously directing the military to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men. This was an interim ruling, as the parliament had failed to pass a resolution on the exemption that lapsed on 31 March 2025. The court reasoned that in the absence of a law that distinguishes between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israel’s compulsory military service system applies to ultra-Orthodox men like any other citizen. The court also argued that the state was carrying out “invalid selective enforcement," and this was a violation of the rule of law.
4. Increasing crackdown against draft dodgers and opposition
Since the Supreme Court’s ruling, there have been attempts by the police to identify the draft dodgers leading to arrests and detentions. The crackdown is also due to a shortage of military personnel since the 2023 offensive in Gaza began and has now expanded to Lebanon and Iran. The move towards strict enforcement has evoked a sharp reaction from not only the Ultra-Orthodox Jews but also their political leaders and the Jerusalem Faction, which is an Israeli Haredi political organization. There have been multiple protests, some violent and leading to mass riots. There have been increasing acts of violence against the court officials and law enforcement. Many ultra-Orthodox Jews also oppose Zionism, believing that establishing the state of Israel was anti-Jewish as it reflects preempting the arrival of the messiah.
In perspective
The history of protests by the ultra-Orthodox Jews is indicative of long-standing fissures within Israeli society on the question of compulsory military drafting. However, the recent protests are the culmination of increasing pressure that Israel’s multi-front and multi-year wars have put on the IDF, the economy, and the government, leading them to deal with the problem of draft-dodging and blanket exemptions.
These protests are also a probable precursor to the impending political fallout wherein the ultra-Orthodox parties in PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition are threatening to withdraw their support if the pending bill on exemption is not passed. This would not only lead to a collapse of the coalition and preponing of elections but also a massive political setback for Netanyahu, whose domestic support and standing have taken a recent hit with the signing of the US-Iran MoU and the US’s public lashing out over Lebanon and Israel’s unattained end games in their regional wars.
