Impending Crisis Over Ultra-Orthodox conscription Bill in Israel

Sat Dec 20 2025 16:03:54 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Israel grapples with a controversial bill that could end ultra-Orthodox men's military exemption, tensions rise within the government and society, threatening stability amid ongoing conflict.

The Israeli government faces a significant challenge as a new draft bill targeting ultra-Orthodox Jews seeks to end their military exemption. This contentious issue is now at the forefront of political discourse, following public shifts in opinion after recent warfare. While some lawmakers support the proposal, the potential ramifications could redefine societal and religious dynamics within the nation.

An impending crisis over conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli army is threatening to undermine Israel's government and split the country.

Public opinion on the issue has shifted dramatically in Israel after two years of war, and this is now perhaps the most explosive political risk facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lawmakers are currently considering a draft bill to end the exemption granted to ultra-Orthodox men enrolled in full-time religious study, established when the State of Israel was declared in 1948.

That exemption was ruled illegal by Israel's High Court of Justice almost 20 years ago. Temporary arrangements to continue it were formally ended by the court last year, forcing the government to begin drafting the community.

Some 24,000 draft notices were issued last year, but only around 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees reported for duty, according to military testimony given to lawmakers.

Tensions are erupting onto the streets, with lawmakers now debating a new draft bill to force ultra-Orthodox men into military service alongside other Israeli Jews.

Two Haredi politicians were targeted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are furious with parliament's discussion of the proposed law.

And last week, a special Border Police unit had to rescue Military Police officers who were targeted by a large crowd of Haredi men as they tried to arrest a suspected draft-evader.

These arrests have sparked the creation of a new messaging system called 'Black Alert' to spread word quickly through ultra-Orthodox communities and summon protesters to prevent arrests taking place.

The push to conscript more ultra-Orthodox also triggered a vast protest by tens of thousands of Haredi men in Jerusalem last month - with the issue seen by many as part of a wider conflict around the identity of the Jewish state, and the place of religion within it.

'We're a Jewish country,' said Shmuel Orbach, one of the protesters. 'You can't fight against Judaism in a Jewish country. It doesn't work.'

But the changes blowing through Israel have not yet breached the walls of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva - or Jewish seminary - in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox city on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, head of the yeshiva, emphasized the community's belief in the power of prayer and study to protect soldiers. 'By studying Torah, we protect the soldiers wherever they are. This is our army,' he said.

The ultra-Orthodox population accounts for 14% of Israel's citizens and their status in the military remains a heated topic. Recent surveys show rising support among non-Haredi Jews for conscription of their ultra-Orthodox peers.

However, the proposed bill faces significant backlash even from coalition lawmakers, who argue the text maintains too many exemptions. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and others brand it a betrayal to those who serve.

With the political landscape fraught and elections looming, this issue continues to evolve, threatening to destabilize not only the government but the broader societal fabric of Israel.