Few domestic political issues divide Israel as deeply as the non-participation of ultra-Orthodox Jews in military conscription. While thousands of reservists are serving on multiple fronts, the demand for a fairer distribution of burdens is growing within Israeli society. At the same time, many ultra-Orthodox view Torah study as an indispensable spiritual service for the protection of the Jewish people. With the law recently passed by the Knesset, as well as the immediate intervention of the Supreme Court, this decades-long conflict has once again escalated. The issue has long since ceased to be solely about military conscription — it has become a fundamental question about the very foundation of Israel’s existence: military strength, spiritual heritage, or a combination of both.
Just hours after Israel’s Knesset passed a law temporarily suspending the arrest of certain draft-eligible yeshiva students, the Supreme Court halted its entry into force with a temporary injunction. The law had been passed with 58 votes to 54 in its second and third readings. It stipulates that until November 30, 2026, no arrests of yeshiva students who demonstrably devote...
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