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Declaring 'war', Israeli ultra-Orthodox rebel against military draft

Iran Press TV

Friday, 08 August 2025 11:03 AM

Tensions among Israeli settlers have sharply escalated as ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders and media declared an ideological "war" against the Israeli military's enforcement of draft orders for Haredi men, revealing deepening divisions amid the prolonged war on Gaza.

Major ultra-Orthodox newspapers on Thursday featured stark headlines. Yated Neeman printed the single word "War," while HaDerech declared a "War for God," following the arrest of two yeshiva students for draft evasion.

Haredi leaders accused the Israeli regime of violating their religious beliefs and threatening their way of life.

For decades, Haredi men have been exempt from Israel's mandatory military service to pursue full-time religious studies. However, a 2023 ruling by Israel's high court ended these broad exemptions, prompting the military to begin enforcing draft orders amid growing troop shortages.

Nearly two years of intense aggression in Gaza have stretched the Israeli military, which now requires an additional 12,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, approximately 80,000 Haredi men aged 18 to 24 have yet to register for conscription.

Rabbi Dov Lando, a leading spiritual figure, described the arrests as a "declaration of war" on yeshiva students. Haredi political parties, including Shas and United Torah Judaism, are lobbying to reinstate legal exemptions, further fueling tensions in an entity already divided over the military burden.

Opposition politicians have seized the opportunity to criticize the ultra-Orthodox stance. "There is indeed a war in Israel, but it's in Gaza — and people are dying," opposition leader Yair Lapid said.

The internal conflict unfolds as Israel's military aggression in Gaza, initiated in October 2023, continues amid international condemnation.

Human rights groups and UN officials have described the level of destruction and displacement as unprecedented, with more than two million Palestinians displaced and much of Gaza razed.

Humanitarian aid remains severely restricted. Reports indicate Israeli plans to forcibly relocate Palestinians, raising fears of permanent demographic changes.

A prominent Israeli analyst, Akiva Eldar, warned of mounting chaos across Israel's economic, military, and social spheres.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Eldar criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent cabinet approval of a plan to occupy Gaza, predicting widespread protests and refusal among reservists to serve.

Eldar said, "There is no exit strategy from Gaza, and growing despair is visible within the military."

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called the occupation plan a "disaster" likely to trigger further tragedy, including the deaths of captives and soldiers and deepening political collapse.

Lapid said the decision contradicted military advice and ignored the severe fatigue of Israel's forces.