FAQ: Haredim

The Problem With Mandatory Service

HAREDI SOCIETY

Who are the Haredim?

Haredim, also known as ultra-Orthodox Jews, consist of a collection of groups characterized by their strict adherence to halakha, or Jewish religious law. Haredi Jews have been maintaining their strict orthodoxy and separation for decades, particularly as liberal streams of Judaism have developed. Haredim live around the world, with communities in Israel, the United States, and Europe. Most Haredim in Israel express a general aversion toward the secular world and emphasize Torah learning as the core aspect of life.

What does the name “Haredim” mean?

“Haredi” is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “to tremble” and is often associated biblically with trembling resulting from fear of and devotion to God. The name “Haredim” is thus meant to reflect a group that is awe-inspired and prepared to serve God.

How many Haredim live in Israel?

Around 1.3 million Israelis identify as Haredi, about 13% percent of the country’s population. These numbers are expected to rise significantly in the coming decades due to high Haredi birth rates.

Where do Haredim live?

While Haredim live in cities and neighborhoods throughout Israel, many choose to live in Haredi-majority cities such as Bnei Brak or Betar Illit, or Haredi neighborhoods like Mea Shearim in Jerusalem.

HAREDIM AND THE IDF

Why do most Haredi men not serve in the IDF?

In 1948, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion exempted some 400 Haredi yeshiva students from military service. Ben-Gurion and his political party needed the support of the ultra-Orthodox community as they prepared to declare Israeli independence and establish a government; for this reason, Ben-Gurion acquiesced to ultra-Orthodox demands, including control over marriage, Kashrut, gender separation, and military exemption. Ben-Gurion (incorrectly) predicted that the Haredi population would shrink and that in the long run this compromise would be insignificant. The arrangement, which came to be known as Torato Umanuto (“Torah as vocation”), persisted as the status quo for decades: as long as Haredi men were studying full time in yeshiva, the Ministry of Defense allowed them to defer their service until they were exempted at the age of 26.

How has the Torato Umanuto precedent been challenged and changed over time?

Until 1977, there were standard quotas on the number of exemptions granted to Haredim—from 1968-1977, the quota was 800 exemptions annually. However, with the election of Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the formation of Israel’s first right-wing, Likud-led government that year, all quotas were dropped. Thereafter, Torato Umanuto extended to growing numbers of Haredim—in 1985, 16,000 Haredim deferred their military service. ¹ In 1998, however, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the Torato Umanuto arrangement was not supported by legislation and therefore was unlawful. The court demanded that in order for the exemption to be legal, the Knesset would have to pass a law legislating Haredi draft requirements. The Knesset has since attempted unsuccessfully to pass other laws addressing the issue (the laws either were not passed by the Knesset, did not significantly increase the number of Haredi inductees, or were rejected by the Supreme Court). As a result, Haredi enlistment into the IDF has largely remained stagnant. ²

What are recent developments in the debate over drafting Haredim?

In response to Supreme Court decrees, in June 2023, the government committed to passing legislation about Haredi draft exemptions by April 1, 2024. The Supreme Court had ruled that the state must begin drafting Haredim and withholding funding for yeshivot whose attendees include draft dodgers if a bill was not passed. The government did not succeed in drafting a bill that satisfied all of its coalition partners.

How many Haredi men are we talking about?

At the beginning of 2024, there were 63,000 Haredi men of military age eligible for enlistment; in July 2024, the Defense Ministry and IDF were ordered by the Supreme Court and Attorney General to draft 4,800 Haredim in the next year.

Are Haredi women exempt from military service?

Yes, Haredi women, unlike Haredi men, are formally exempt from military service according to the Defense Service Law of 1986, available here.

Why do most Haredi men choose not to serve in the IDF?

The Haredi community opposes military service, in part, because its adherents are wary of engaging with a secular institution and secular individuals; they are concerned about being able to uphold their religious practices (i.e. daily prayer, strictly kosher food, and gender separation). Moreover, many Haredim have ambivalent or antagonistic views towards Israel as a secular state in the Land of Israel. Most significant, however, is the widespread belief among the Haredi community that Torah study and daily prayer are essential for Israel’s security and survival, and that these cannot be sustained along with military service. Haredim believe that their study—their form of “service”—is as integral to Israel’s safety as the service of soldiers in the IDF.

What do Haredim do instead of serving in the IDF? What are the options for them if they choose to serve?

Most Haredi men opt to study in a yeshiva, deferring their service until the age of exemption at 26. A small number elect to do Hesder, a five-year program that combines Torah learning and military service. Haredi men who choose to serve in the IDF—about 1,200 each year ³ (though slightly more in 2024 in the wake of October 7, discussed here)—are assigned to bases that meet Haredi standards of Kashrut and restrict female visitors to the wives of soldiers, among other accommodations (an example is the 97th “Netzah Yehuda” Infantry Battalion).

How does the Haredi military exemption affect their community and its standing in Israeli society?

One of the central divisions between Haredi and non-Haredi Israelis is military service. The IDF has long been seen as a “melting pot” for Israeli society, where individuals of different geographic, socio-economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds interact. While the “melting pot” paradigm has changed and been challenged, the shared Israeli experience of military service continues to create a strong social bond among veterans. Additionally, Haredi men must remain in yeshiva until the age of 26 in order to defer their army service, which means that they postpone their entry into the workforce or engagement with higher education and vocational training. This has contributed to high unemployment rates among Haredi men, dependence on government subsidies, and further alienation from Israeli society.

¹ Dr. Malchi, Asaf. The “People’s Army”? The Israel Democracy Institute. October 16, 2018.

² For a more in-depth discussion of this history see here, and for a detailed timeline see here.

³ Reporting from the Times of Israel. March 27, 2024.

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