Ultra-Orthodox draft revolt exposes Israeli fractures: NYT
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Mounting ultra-Orthodox draft resistance has fractured Netanyahu's coalition, intensified military shortages, and exposed the deep social and political limits of "Israel's" ongoing war on Gaza.
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Police disperse Ultra-Orthodox Jews blocking a highway during a protest against army recruitment, in the settlemen of Bnei Brak, occupied Palestine, Tuesday, August 19, 2025. (AP)
The New York Times on Monday reported mounting unrest in "Israel" as ultra-Orthodox communities resist state attempts to conscript them into the army, exposing deep fractures inside a state already entrenched in its devastating war on Gaza.
In occupied al-Quds, members of the hardline Edah Haredit sect clashed with police after rabbis denounced the draft from a balcony. Demonstrators set dumpsters ablaze while police fired skunk-water cannons to disperse crowds. One 23-year-old student, Haim Bamberger, told the paper, "In this country I'm considered a criminal because I want to study Torah." His defiance reflects the refusal among many ultra-Orthodox Jews to take part in a war they view as devoid of divine legitimacy.
The conflict traces back to decades of exemptions granted since "Israel's" founding, a policy struck down by the Supreme Court in June 2024. Following the ruling, the military announced in July 2025 that it would issue 54,000 call-up notices to yeshiva students. Compliance, however, has been negligible: fewer than 3,000 Haredim have enlisted, while tens of thousands face draft-dodger warrants. By August, officials admitted to a shortfall of 10,000-12,000 troops, compounded by mass desertions, PTSD cases, and rising suicides inside the army.
Desperation has driven the occupation to consider recruiting from abroad. Israeli Army Radio revealed that up to 700 Jews a year may be enlisted from the United States and France, adding to the 3,500 "lone soldiers" already serving.
At home, the military has announced a large-scale arrest campaign during the September holidays, targeting draft evaders at Ben Gurion Airport as tens of thousands of pilgrims head to Uman, Ukraine. Those evading less than 540 days face forced induction; others risk prison.
Political Collapse in Tel Aviv
The fallout has shattered Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. In July, United Torah Judaism fully withdrew from the government, followed by Shas, which pulled its ministers while wavering on parliamentary support. This left Netanyahu with either a razor-thin 61-seat majority or a minority in the Knesset, depending on issue-by-issue votes. His corruption trial, resumed this summer, further undermines his authority.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has demanded early elections, declaring, "A minority government cannot send soldiers to the battlefield. It is not a legitimate government." Analysts now say Netanyahu's rule hangs by a thread, with the prospect of collapse imminent if Shas revokes its final backing.
Read more: Netanyahu stalls ceasefire deal as Hamas agrees, captives die: Lapid
Secular Israelis, who make up the bulk of the fighting force, are increasingly resentful of the imbalance. "Why should our children die and your children are just sitting drinking coffee and learning?" asked Nechumi Yaffe, a professor at Tel Aviv University. That anger comes as the army admits to nearly 900 soldiers killed since October 2023 and reservists serving more than 400 days in rotation.
Meanwhile, Gaza's Health Ministry reports over 60,000 Palestinians killed in the genocide in Gaza, the overwhelming majority of whom are civilians. Entire neighborhoods have been razed, hospitals and schools deliberately targeted, and famine grips the enclave under blockade.
