Ultra-Orthodox

My Word: Negative political thinking - opinion

Israel’s fragmented political landscape raises questions about coalition stability, voter trust, and whether politicians can put national interests ahead of personal rivalries.

Prime Minister and Likud party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the media after casting his ballot in Israel’s general elections at a polling station in Jerusalem, October 27, 2026
Shlomo Benizri seen during an interview in Jerusalem on September 10, 2014.

Former Shas minister blames Deri for alienating voters as party drops to six seats

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men block a road and clash with police during a protest against the jailing of yeshiva students who failed to comply with an army recruitment order, outside the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, October 29, 2026.

Three arrested after haredi protest clashes wound multiple protesters, three police officers

United Torah Judaism party head MK Yaakov Asher alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, October 28, 2026

Haredi parties Shas, UTJ set to win 14 combined seats in 2026 Israeli election


Knesset passes contentious haredi-backed bill to enshrine Torah study in Israel's Basic Law

The haredi-backed Basic Law passed its final Knesset votes after weeks of coalition tensions and warnings that it could encourage draft evasion.

MK Yitzhak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism) attends a House committee meeting at the Knesset, July 12, 2026.

Voting rights and PACs: Solutions for the haredi draft evasion problem - opinion

Our soldiers are exhausted. Over half of our reserve soldiers have logged hundreds of days of military duty. We can’t continue to ask them to shoulder the burden alone.

The Knesset House Committee votes to advance the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties' bill that seeks to enshrine Torah Study in the country's Basic Law. June 30, 2026.

Basic Law: Debasing Torah - opinion

The proposed Basic Law: Torah Study would grant constitutional status to Torah study, but in practice it would turn a sacred obligation into a political and legal instrument. That would harm Torah...

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from the Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty study Torah outside the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem during a silent protest against the imprisonment of yeshiva students who failed to comply with military recruitment orders, July 1, 2026; Illustrative.

Knesset panel advances bill to freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders amid legal warnings

The advancement of a bill to freeze the arrests of draft evaders comes after the contentious Basic Law: Torah Study bill advanced last week in the Knesset’s House Committee.

Knesset panel advances bill to freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders, July 12, 2026.

Beyond mourning: Rebuilding the Temple starts with rebuilding Israeli society - opinion

The Temple's restoration begins with restoring unity, justice, and shared responsibility in society.

 Second Temple Model

Haredi protesters rally outside Jerusalem cafe open on Shabbat

Hundreds of Jerusalem residents gathered in support of Cafe Basimta as police removed two protesters near the entrance.

Ultra-Orthodox protesters outside of the Basimta cafe on Saturday, July 4, 2026.

Haredi leadership and Netanyahu are facing the same dilemma - opinion

Haredi leadership is throwing everything at the wall: a Basic Law, road-blocking protests organized by the party, voting boycotts in the Knesset – anything to convince their base they can deliver

HAREDI DEMONSTRATORS protest in Jerusalem on July 23, 2025.

Laundering human capital: The reckless amnesty bills and their debasement of the Torah - opinion

Under the guise of concern for the world of Torah, two bills are on the table: the Basic Law: Torah Study on the one side, and the Law of Exemption from Arrests on the other. 

Haredi anti-draft protesters block Highway 4 near Bnei Brak denouncing the detention of a draft dodger, February 9, 2026.

Haredi protests against Jerusalem Light Rail continue, reports of over NIS 400 million in damage

The protests follow an N12 News report that haredi protests have cumulatively caused over NIS 400 million in damage to the Jerusalem light rail's unfinished Green Line.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters set fire to construction materials during a protest against construction work on the Jerusalem Light Rail in the Bar-Ilan area of Jerusalem, June 8, 2026.

The hidden economic danger in the Basic Law on Torah Study

Another significant dimension has received almost no attention: the possibility that the law will alter Israel’s national priorities and damage the growth engines on which the Israeli economy depends

MKS ATTEND a House committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on June 16, 2026.