Forcing Haredim to Serve Sparks Rabbi Fury — Will Netanyahu’s Coalition Collapse?

As the Israeli government signals a possible escalation of its “military operation” in Gaza, the debate over drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) has resurfaced; a highly divisive and politically sensitive issue in Tel Aviv.

On May 5, 2025, the security cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a gradual expansion of the genocide in Gaza, but the move was postponed until after U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East.

The delay aimed to give negotiations in Qatar a chance, especially following Hamas’s release of Idan Alexander, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen.

Plan Details

The expansion of the offensive on the Strip was approved a day after Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced that the military had already begun issuing tens of thousands of reserve call-up orders for this mission.

This move comes amid ongoing coalition disputes over the draft exemption law for the Haredim — a longstanding divide that resurfaced after the launch of Operation al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, with no resolution from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

On June 25, 2024, the Supreme Court — Israeli Occupation’s highest judicial authority — ruled that Haredim must be drafted and barred state funding for religious institutions whose students refuse military service.

The Haredim reject military service entirely, saying their purpose in life is to study the Torah and devote themselves to worship.

Under the chief of staff’s plan, around 60,000 draft orders may be issued by the end of July 2025, far more than the previously discussed 24,000.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth on May 6, citing Zamir, the military’s personnel division will send an initial draft order to every 16.5-year-old male, followed by a second one — without distinguishing between Haredim and secular youth.

The directive states that anyone who fails to show up after receiving the orders will be labeled a “draft evader” and face criminal penalties, including travel restrictions.

Yedioth Ahronoth later reported on May 13 that draft notices had already been issued to some Haredi youth, as part of a broader military campaign to compel them into service.

The operation, driven by manpower shortages and the prolonged war, is expected to be strictly enforced, targeting both the Haredi community and the general public.

The initial phase targeted 36 draft-eligible individuals across the country, who were detained, the paper said.

The army is expanding the distribution of draft orders to Haredi men due to ongoing personnel shortages and the drawn-out war in Gaza.

The report also noted that the Israeli military police have begun detaining eligible recruits who failed to report after receiving their draft orders.

As part of the operation, military police officers are expected to visit the homes of those evading conscription, the paper added.

‘A Pressing Need’

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir sees this draft effort as a “national necessity” to ensure equal burden-sharing, especially amid the growing call-up of reserve forces ahead of the planned Gaza escalation.

Haredim make up about 13% of Israeli Occupation’s 10 million population and reject military service, insisting their lives are dedicated to Torah study. They argue that integrating into secular society threatens their religious identity and community's survival.

For decades, they have avoided mandatory enlistment at age 18 by repeatedly deferring service for yeshiva studies until they reach the exemption age, currently 26.

Despite Halevi’s directives, no sweeping enforcement of draft orders has occurred yet, aside from a few isolated cases. Instead, the army has taken administrative steps, widely seen as a direct message to Netanyahu and War Minister Israel Katz — amid growing threats by Haredi parties to quit the coalition.

Netanyahu’s government includes the religious parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. If they leave the coalition, it would collapse. His coalition currently holds 62 out of 120 Knesset seats; Shas has 11, and United Torah Judaism has 7. A majority of at least 61 is required to stay in power.

Over recent months, Netanyahu has delayed conscripting Haredim and reduced their required numbers. But with mounting battlefield losses, pressure from the military, the opposition, other coalition partners, and the Supreme Court ruling, he was forced to issue new instructions.

The opposition accuses Netanyahu of trying to push through legislation that would permanently exempt Haredim from military service — a concession to Shas and United Torah Judaism — to preserve his fragile coalition.

During a closed Knesset Foreign Affairs and War Committee meeting on May 11, Netanyahu, cautious not to trigger a coalition collapse, merely said that 10,500 Haredim would be drafted over the next two years.

According to the army, around 10,000 soldiers are currently missing from its ranks — including 7,000 combat troops — highlighting a major personnel shortage.

The military recently disclosed that out of 18,000 draft notices sent to Haredi youth, only 205 have joined, with another 900 starting the selection process. Thousands more have been labeled draft evaders or are under arrest warrants.

To truly shift the status quo, Halevi will need political allies willing to push back against efforts to derail the plan.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said the army must begin sending draft orders to all eligible Haredim starting with the upcoming draft cycle in July.

In a May hearing, she emphasized the urgent need to expand army enlistment in line with security officials’ recommendations.

She also pointed to the Supreme Court’s interim order demanding the government explain its failure to conscript Haredim by June 24, 2025 — calling it a clear warning sign.

Haredi Rejection

In protest against the freezing of legislation related to exemptions from military service, the Haredi factions in the ruling coalition began boycotting votes in the Knesset (Parliament) starting May 7.

On May 12, during closed deliberations, the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and War Committee canceled the vote to expand reserve call-up orders, due to the absence of a coalition majority caused by the protest-related absence of Haredi Knesset members from these discussions, according to Israeli media.

As a result, the coalition will have to convince the Haredi Knesset members to attend another committee meeting to approve the Israeli army’s request to expand reserve call-ups.

Meanwhile, the Haredim began protesting outside the recruitment base in the Tel Hashomer neighborhood near Tel Aviv and in other locations, rejecting military service.

“The Chief of Staff’s directives were met with considerable calm among the Haredim; some have not yet heard about it, while those who have do not believe it will change the number of enlistments,” Walla reported on May 11.

“As in the past, many declare that they would rather sit in prison than become soldiers.”

On May 13, officials from Minister Katz’s office approached the Haredi factions in an attempt to calm anger and threats, clarifying that this is a general enforcement process — not targeted solely against the Haredim — but without success.

Meanwhile, the voices of senior rabbis, whose words are regarded as religious rulings for the Haredim, have risen, calling for the refusal of enlistment and even the “tearing up” of conscription orders.

Senior rabbis and the Haredi press issued harsh messages against the army’s move, affirming that “even arrests will not lead to the enlistment of the Haredim.”

Commenting on these developments, Yitzhak Yosef, the former Chief Rabbi and member of Shas’ Council of Torah Sages, said: “Even if there is indeed a decree to arrest religious students, the draft plan will not be implemented and will not happen.”

“There is no need to stay in the country without studying the Torah; it is above all value, and it protects the soldiers.”

“They fired 35,000 rockets at us, and thank God most were intercepted. How does Iron Dome counter them? Thanks to the Torah you study,” he added on May 14.

In the midst of this, the three newspapers affiliated with the Haredi parties (Yated Ne’eman, Hamodia, Hamevaser) launched an attack on the Israeli judicial system, warning against the plan to “draft Torah students” and describing it as a “spiritual disaster.”

A joint editorial stated: “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and the gathering of fruit is over, but we are not saved. The judicial authorities burden us with their orders and threaten to take away our Torah students. We will not stand idly by and will act by all possible means to defend the essence of our identity.”

Meanwhile, Hamevaser wrote: “Blessed are those who are arrested while reciting words of the Torah. Do not be afraid; if they force us, we will go with pride and honor to the detention center.”

It clarified that the army has not only “waged war against the world of the Torah,” but that “the attorney general has ordered it to send tens of thousands of additional arrest orders to all religious school students.”

Upcoming Scenarios

Today, the Haredi parties are threatening to withdraw from Netanyahu’s coalition amid the worsening crisis over the military exemption law and the increasing number of service orders targeting religious school students.

Haaretz reported on May 8 that prominent leaders in the Haredi stream now see that continuing in the ruling coalition is no longer worthwhile due to the stalled exemption legislation.

The momentum toward withdrawing from the coalition is gaining strength after the spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah party, Rabbi Dov Lando, joined the call, alongside his government representative, Ya’akov Asher.

The Degel HaTorah party, representing Lithuanian Jews, is allied with Agudat Yisrael, which represents Western (Ashkenazi) Jews, to form a single parliamentary bloc in the current Knesset called United Torah Judaism (Yahadut HaTorah).

This Haredi stream supports establishing a Jewish state governed by religious laws and rejects any negotiations with the Palestinians or recognition of their rights.

This alliance has had a significant influence on the stability of Netanyahu’s government, which is why Netanyahu delayed drafting them in recent months until the judicial ruling came.

Regarding the possibility of toppling the government, Rabbi Dov Lando said in May: “We cannot stand idly by. All avenues are open to us when it comes to this matter — the heart and soul of our people.”

During an emergency meeting held at his home in May with dozens of heads of Haredi religious institutes, Lando hinted that toppling the government has become a possible option if the issue is not resolved.

However, the Haredim themselves are divided into two camps on this issue. The first, led by Lando and other rabbis, completely rejects conscription.

The second camp, led by Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, advocates staying in the governing coalition at any cost.

The second group argues that the Haredim will find no better option than Netanyahu and his current coalition, which seeks a never-ending war in Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank, especially since other alternatives are worse.

Amid this rejection and Netanyahu being pressured by the court, several allied parties, and the opposition, the Israeli Prime Minister has not attempted to negotiate with the Haredim.

Yedioth Ahronoth quoted sources familiar with the details saying that Netanyahu warned the Haredim he is prepared to call early elections, in which they would likely lose out. 

The sources also noted that Netanyahu is growing impatient with their threats and has stopped trying to appease them, as his right-wing supporters no longer sympathize with their demands for military service exemptions.