"It's a big day for Binyamin Pappenheim. His granddaughter is getting married. For the ultra-Orthodox, starting a family is an act of faith. Pappenheim himself has 67 grandchildren. When Israel was created in 1948, the country's secular leadership wanted the Haredim's backing for the nascent state. The government largely exempted them from mandatory military service and gave them funding to study religion full time. The Haredim were a small community then but have since increased to make up nearly 14 percent of the population."
"Then, in 2024, against the backdrop of multiple conflicts, including the war in Gaza, the Supreme Court canceled the exemption. The Haredim were furious, but their anger hasn't stopped the draft notices. Pappenheim is an activist with Am Kadosh, one of the Haredi organizations leading the opposition to conscription. We all need to share the same rights and same burdens."
Ultra-Orthodox Jews known as Haredim are being called to serve in Israel's military for the first time in decades. The community has reacted with fury, protests, and open draft defiance. The Haredim population has surged and now constitutes nearly 14 percent of Israel's population, escalating resentment among Israelis who serve. Since 1948 the government largely exempted Haredim from conscription and funded full-time religious study. In 2024, amid multiple conflicts including the war in Gaza, the Supreme Court canceled that exemption. Haredi organizations such as Am Kadosh lead opposition to conscription, while non-Haredi families express frustration over low enlistment rates.
Read at www.nytimes.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]