As tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis flood the streets to protest a proposed law that would draft yeshiva students into the army, voices from across Israeli society reflect the depth of the divide – between those who see Torah study as a vital spiritual defense and those who believe national service is a moral and civic duty.
Two reservists, one Israeli-born and one who came to Israel to learn and serve with Hesder, a program that allows for both yeshiva studies and military service in conjunction, spoke with The Jerusalem Post about the issue.
M., 35, who has served multiple combat tours, expressed anger and grief toward what he sees as an unfair burden borne by religious soldiers like himself.
Serving in the military and completing Yeshiva studies in Ma’ale Adumim, he expressed a clear disconnect between scholars who completed service and the haredi population protesting.
“I feel that it is unfair that our haredi brothers do not join us in arms,” M. said.
“My unit has done five rounds. We have lost three guys – three were killed in an ambush last year. We have [been] wounded. You should know that [in] our company of 80 guys, the majority are now religious.”
He stressed that observant Jews already serve in significant numbers. “It’s not like we’re all secular,” he said. “We have prayer, we have a minyan, we have all the things. And we are serving, and we are working, and we are fighting, and we are dying,” he stated, adding – “and they are not.”
The refusal of many haredim to serve, said M., has created resentment. “Now, more than ever, I feel like they are parasites on our society, just taking and taking,” he said.
“They have the audacity to fight against us and against the world that we’ve created and the security that we’ve provided them.”
He pointed out that many of those killed in recent conflicts were religious soldiers. “The Dati Leumi – the Modern Orthodox – are the ones going in and becoming fighters,” he said.
“You look at the casualties of the past two years. So many religious soldiers were killed. It’s me, my guys, my friends, people from my background.”
The toll, he said, is emotional as well as physical. “It’s troubling and frustrating to see them try to wiggle out of being a real brother,” M. said.
“I feel distant from them. I feel unloved by them. And it hurts – because we’ve done so much for them. Everyone who’s fighting is doing it for all of us.”
Current system unsustainable
A., 35, is a reservist who has logged hundreds of days of duty since October 7. He identifies as religious but not ultra-Orthodox, telling the Post that he holds deep love and respect for Torah study.
He believes that those who truly dedicate themselves to learning “contribute not only to themselves but also to the people of Israel, especially those who continue studying even after marriage.”
However, he believes the current system is unsustainable and that change is necessary, he told the Post.
“The haredi community doesn’t seem to understand that the current situation cannot continue,” he said. “It cannot be that those who leave the yeshiva and do not study contribute nothing. I am strongly in favor of national service for those who don’t study.”
A. said that while full military service may not be feasible for all, national service should be mandatory for those outside full-time religious study.
“Contributing to the country is part of being a member of the Israeli people,” he added. “This sense of separation from the rest of society is deeply problematic. Those who don’t study should participate in at least minimal national service – that’s where the process should start.”
A. expressed skepticism that legislation alone would resolve the issue, noting that “the haredi community has historically been very skilled at circumventing” draft quotas. “Even if a law with enforcement were enacted, they would likely find ways around it,” he told the Post, calling instead for broad social consensus.
While he said he had “no particular sentiment” toward the day’s protest, he supported dialogue between secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis.
“If I were available, I might join – not to provoke, but to engage in dialogue,” he said. “The goal would be to help them understand that we want them to be part of the Israeli people – and that being part of the people means contributing, not only through Torah study.”
As haredim push against the draft bill and lawmakers in the Knesset, voices like G.’s and M.’s underscore the challenge ahead: bridging not just a policy gap, but a widening rift within Israeli society itself.