In Israel, it used to be the case that ultra-Orthodox religious men did not serve a mandatory military service, whereas mostly all secular young men and women serve for 2 to 3 years, plus reserve duty for years after. Recent amendments to the law now require the ultra-Orthodox to serve. Last week, in a massive show of unity between many different ultra-Orthodox groups, over 200,000 protestors blocked the entrance to Jerusalem and roads within the city to fight against military conscription. Over 2,000 police were deployed, and many were met with rowdy behavior and injuries to police officers.  

The Law for Security Service, which gave military exemptions across the board to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva (religious learning schools) students expired in 2023. In 2024, the High Court ruled that the government must draft them. Since then, very few have enlisted, and everyone else who did not are considered draft dodgers. The current majority government fears it will cause a collapse because many seats are held by ultra-Orthodox parties.  

The IDF needs 12,000 combat soldiers due to extended and heightened security needs as well as injuries to thousands of soldiers over the past two years. The religious groups fear the assimilation of their young men into secular lifestyles contrary to their way of life. They claim the need to study Torah and keep Judaism is more important than defense of the country. One 65-year-old yeshiva student and father of eight children said, “The whole thing is a plan to keep us from keeping our religion; we’re not going to agree to send our boys there. We understand it’s very clear, it’s not that they need us, it’s that they want to annihilate us religiously.”

However, the IDF has established an ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade that takes into consideration their needs such as wearing “Sabbath clothes” on Saturdays when not on duty instead of military uniforms. They are required to attend prayers and study the Torah for an hour every day. The troops are also required to have phones that are “kosher,” which block social media and most other apps, as well as keep their strict food guidelines. Before the massive demonstration began, a unit from the Hasmonean Brigade finished their training with a ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. They received their blue beret and sang the national anthem, ‘Hatikvah.’

Please pray for these internal tensions and that there would be enough trained soldiers to defend the nation of Israel, especially when many soldiers are tired, injured, or must return to their families after extended times of service.

Read more at The Times of Israel