Inside the ultra-Orthodox fight against Israeli conscription

Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel are angry. For the first time in decades, the community known as Haredim has been called into the country's military. Their enlistment has become one of the country's most divisive political debates. The discussion centers on the size of the community. The Haredim population has exploded in recent decades, and their numbers continue to grow. It's a big day for Binyamin Pappenheim. His granddaughter is getting married. For ultra-Orthodox, starting a family is an act of faith. Pappenheim himself has 67 grandchildren. When Israel was founded in 1948, the country's secular leaders wanted Haredim support for the emerging state. The government largely exempted them from compulsory military service and provided them with funds to study religion full-time. Haredim were a small community at the time, but have since grown to account for nearly 14 percent of the population. As their numbers grew, so did resentment among other Israelites forced into military service. Then, in 2024, the Supreme Court revoked the exemption due to multiple conflicts, including the Gaza war. The Haredim were furious, but their anger did not stop the draft notices. Pappenheim is an activist with Am Kadosh, one of the haredi organizations leading the anti-draft movement. “We all need to share the same rights and the same burdens.'' Like many other non-Haredi Jewish Israelis, Liat Weis Shaf is frustrated that so few ultra-Orthodox have enlisted so far. For former soldiers, the issue is personal. There are only a few months left until 17-year-old daughter Ella joins the group. “For us, it's kind of a mixed feeling for Israelis to send their children into the army, because we believe that this is our security circle, this is the people's army. Everyone should serve and they don't, so it's a kind of betrayal feeling.”Tonight young Haredi students are gathering to hear Am Kadosh leader Yehuda Broi speak. Young people are nervous. Several members of the community have already been arrested for resisting conscription. Several students argue that one does not have to give up what it means to be Haredi to serve in the military. But Broglie isn't convinced. Israel is set to hold parliamentary elections in 2026, and the growing voice of the Haredi movement will likely be the deciding factor. The community hopes to present a united front by organizing the largest protest of its kind in years.