Israel's Knesset approved two bills that pause the conscription of ultra‑Orthodox men and enshrine religious study as a core state value. The move is widely seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy to lock in religious party support before the autumn election.

Key Takeaways

  • Israel legally pauses enforcement against ultra‑Orthodox draft evaders
  • The new law declares religious study a foundational state value
  • Netanyahu aims to secure coalition backing before the October vote

The Israeli parliament (Knesset) voted on two landmark bills that effectively halt the enlistment of ultra‑Orthodox men and elevate Jewish religious study to the status of a "foundational value" of the state. The legislation was passed during a marathon Monday‑Tuesday session, even as the Israel Defense Forces grapple with severe manpower shortages after nearly three years of war.

Historical Context

When Israel was founded in 1948, a small group of yeshiva students sought to revive Torah scholarship devastated by the Holocaust. That led to a de‑facto exemption allowing them to defer military service in favor of full‑time religious study. In the 1990s, Israel's Supreme Court declared the exemption unconstitutional, yet successive governments kept it alive through informal arrangements.

Current Political Landscape

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is racing against time to cement support from religious parties before the national election slated for 27 October. The ultra‑Orthodox bloc, traditionally a kingmaker in Israeli politics, wields disproportionate electoral influence. By codifying the exemption, Netanyahu hopes to ensure that Haredi parties remain loyal allies after the vote, a move described by Israel Democracy Institute analyst Shlomit Ravitsky Tur‑Paz as a “pre‑election bargaining chip.”

Military and Social Implications

The IDF is already strained by prolonged conflict, and the loss of a potential 13,000 conscripts each year – of which fewer than 10 % currently enlist – could exacerbate readiness gaps. Military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, in a letter to Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, slammed the bills as “clearly and unequivocally inconsistent” with the armed forces’ needs, warning that mass exemptions undermine the sacrifices demanded of soldiers.

Future Scenarios

If Netanyahu secures a second term, the new legal framework may become entrenched, further widening the divide between secular and religious Israelis. Conversely, a change‑of‑government could see the exemption revisited or revoked, potentially fracturing the coalition that sustained Netanyahu’s wartime leadership. Either outcome will reshape Israel’s social contract and its approach to national defence.