From Foreign Policy · Anchal Vohra · · 3m
Israel’s Haredi Election
Ultra-Orthodox men’s military exemption sparks Israel’s election crisis.
In brief
Ultra-Orthodox men’s military exemption sparks Israel’s election crisis. Israel’s upcoming election hinges on whether ultra-Orthodox men will enlist amid military shortages and political tensions. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
Israel’s Haredi Population Growth
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community is the country’s fastest-growing population group, with an average fertility rate of around 6.5 children per woman.
Haredi Population Projections
By 2050, nearly 1 in 4 Israelis is projected to be Haredi.
Haredi Military Resistance
Haredim largely resist compulsory military service, and their contribution to the formal economy remains limited.
Haredi Community Influence
The community has fiercely guarded its way of life, leveraging political influence in coalition governments and presenting itself as the guardian of Jewish spirituality.
Military Shortages
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has fought prolonged wars in Gaza and Lebanon as well as a confrontation with Iran, increasing the demand for military personnel.
Draft Evaders
Around 80,000 Haredim aged 18-24 are reportedly believed to be eligible for military service but have not enlisted.
Military Service Shortfall
The IDF has warned of a shortage of as many as 12,000 soldiers and called on the ultra-Orthodox to help fill the gap.
Haredi Political Response
In June 2024, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that blanket exemptions for yeshiva students could no longer be sustained without a legal basis and ordered the government to begin conscripting eligible Haredi men.
Political Crisis
The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) argued that full-time Torah study was essential to preserving Jewish religious life and opposed compulsory enlistment.
Coalition Withdrawal
In 2025, UTJ withdrew from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition over the failure to block the compulsory draft.
Draft Resistance
Haredi communities have mounted fierce resistance to compulsory enlistment, blocking roads and clashing with police when they came to collect draft evaders.
Recent Clash
In a recent incident, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox protesters clashed with military police in the city of Modiin as officers attempted to arrest a Haredi man who evaded the draft.
Draft Evaders Abroad
Officials told the attorney general’s office that more than 150 Haredi men had tried to fly abroad in the previous month alone.
Temporary Law
In what critics regarded as a politically expedient move ahead of the election, Netanyahu’s government passed legislation earlier this year intended to temporarily prevent arrests and other enforcement measures against Haredi draft evaders.
Law Annulled
In September, the High Court annulled the law, finding it to be in violation of the principle of equality.
The main idea
Israel’s upcoming election hinges on whether ultra-Orthodox men will enlist amid military shortages and political tensions.
