Military service

The haredim do not have a credible argument for avoiding IDF service - opinion

Israel cannot sustain a system where one segment of society fights, pays taxes, and bleeds, while another group is draining the societys resorces without contributing in return.

 A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked traffic and the light rail  in Jerusalem demonstrating against a Haredi draft into the IDF. February 26, 2024.
A soldier from the IDF observers unit; illustrative.

IDF observers forced to endure harassment, poor conditions - report

 Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir. March 25, 2025.

Israel Katz publishes IDF chief's letter warning of manpower shortage amid haredi draft debate

Israeli musician Eyal Zakai reflects on Gaza service, song written dedicated to fallen soldier.

Israeli musician Eyal Zakai reflects on Gaza service, song written dedicated to fallen soldier


Maj. Assaf Dagan laid to rest in military ceremony after court order approves

After being called into reserves via WhatsApp instead of via "official" channels, the military refused to recognize him as an official IDF member for burial.

 Israeli soldiers and Family members of combat navigator Maj. (res.) Asaf Dagan, who recently ended his life attend his funeral at the cemetery in Haifa, December 3, 2024.

Haredi military service: Change from the bottom up as grassroots support grows - analysis

When it comes to ultra-Orthodox (haredi) military service, the change within the haredi community will come from the bottom up.

 ‘THE HAREDI leadership argues that it is forbidden to draft yeshiva students whose Torah is their profession and that they defend the State of Israel through their studies.’

Shaike Gavish, Six Day War hero, dies at 99

The last living commander from the Six Day War died at home surrounded by family.

Portrait of retired Israeli Maj.-Gen. Shaike Gavish, at the Palmach Museum. January 05, 2016.

The military must defend the country but not preach on political or social matters - opinion

What should be viewed as incorrect is using an army platform to comment on political, social, and religious concerns.

  BRIG.-GEN. Barak Hiram stoked anger when he said that current Israeli society is detached from past commitments and from the burden of its future, and above all is devoted to the moment, the writer notes.

Ministers, MKs criticize arrests of soldiers suspected of terrorist prisoner abuse

Politicians called for "urgent debates" and were critical of each other's stances on protests which broke out at the base.

 Protesters wave Israeli flags outside the Sde Teiman detention facility, after Israeli Military Police arrived at the site as part of an investigation into suspected abuse of a Palestinian detainee, near Beersheba in southern Israel, July 29, 2024.

IDF reservist soldier who refuses to continue serving in Gaza speaks out

Yuval Green, a 26-year-old reservist, said the IDF is utilizing Palestinian homes for military purposes and that soldiers take “souvenirs, vandalize the homes, and destroy things for no reason.”

 An Israeli soldier operates during a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, July 3, 2024.

Israel on its way to temporarily extending mandatory IDF service

Knesset extends IDF service to 36 months temporarily, sparking debate over fairness and military readiness amid financial concerns and opposition.

 An IDF soldier is seen wearing a Jewish tzitzit while carrying a weapon in Jerusalem, May 13, 2024

Gov't greenlights bill to extend IDF mandatory service to three years

The bill was delayed over legal and social concerns that it unequally increased the burden of military service on some groups while leaving others exempt.

 An IDF soldier is seen praying.

How Ben-Gurion's pragmatic decision led to haredim draft exemption - analysis

David Ben-Gurion's 1948 decision not to draft yeshiva students shaped Israel's policy, sparking decades of debate on military exemptions amid societal and political transformations.

 David Ben-Gurion – Israeli politician, Zionist leader, First Prime Minister of israel.

New app by Israel's Defense Ministry helps to navigate the graves of Israel's fallen forces

The application, "Memory Paths," allows individuals to navigate to graves in military cemeteries, giving users information about the fallen buried there.

 Israeli flags on graves of fallen soldiers in Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, on May 9, 2024, ahead of Israeli Memorial Day.