Day 527 - Haredi groups help yeshiva students dodge draft

The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

The Times of Israel

News

4.4 • 864 Ratings

🗓️ 16 March 2025

⏱️ 21 minutes

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Summary

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Sam Sokol joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing.

As the IDF faces problems recruiting reserve troops after more than 15 months of war and mounting anger against the ultra-Orthodox for not shouldering the burden, Sokol discusses the latest in the Haredi draft issue, coming to a head in the current budget debates.

Sokol says the various ultra-Orthodox parties are playing this issue differently, although they all appear to want the same thing: exemptions for yeshiva students and will use different tactics to achieve their goals.

He also describes his ongoing investigation into the growing number of Haredi organizations offering advice to yeshiva students and families about how to dodge draft notices. Sokol is investigating the pattern of behavior that's emerging, the illegalities involved in advising someone to avoid the draft, and the security apparatus's reticence to take action on this growing trend.

Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

AG, police silent in face of growing ecosystem of Haredi evasion organizations

Hasidic MKs tell Netanyahu they’ll oppose budget if draft exemption law not passed

Haredi lawmakers split on approach to budget, which must pass this month or gov’t falls

‘Do not cooperate’: Nonprofit linked to top Haredi rabbis encourages draft dodging

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IMAGE: Haredi Jews clash with police during a protest against the ultra-Orthodox draft on Road 4 outside Bnei Brak on March 2, 2025 (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. It is Sunday, March 16th, and I'm Jessica Steinberg.
0:10.6	I'm speaking today with political correspondent Sam Sokol. Hi, Sam. How you doing?
0:15.3	Morning. Good morning. It is day 527 of the war. As Israel slammed the latest Khamas proposal to free one living hostage,
0:25.7	U.S. citizen Idan Alexander, and four slain hostages. The Prime Minister's office Saturday
0:31.9	night said that its current proposal that is in the works would see 11 living hostages
0:36.7	freed immediately and half of the
0:38.8	slain hostages. The Israeli negotiating team is still in Doha-Katar working on those negotiations.
0:47.1	Thousands attended protests for the hostages in Tel Aviv and across the country Saturday night,
0:52.9	calling for a one-time release of all the
0:55.8	remaining captives. Meanwhile, U.S. strikes on Yemen killed 31 people and the Houthis have vowed a
1:02.6	response, while U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. will hold Tehran accountable if the U.S.
1:08.9	is threatened in the ongoing back and forth between the U.S.
1:12.2	and Iran. And then locally, or here in Israel, there is the state budget with a March 31st deadline
1:20.5	and a lot of tension between the ultra-Orthodox members of Prime Minister Benjamin and
1:25.7	DeNehs coalition who have threatened to vote
1:28.9	against it without legislation of sweeping exemptions of military service for Haredi
1:34.7	Yeshiva students.
1:35.6	We will talk about that, as well as Sam's investigation into a seemingly growing ecosystem
1:42.6	of Haredi organizations aimed at promoting military draft evasion.
1:48.8	Stay with us. We'll be right back.
1:54.7	This episode is brought to you by Jewish Communal Fund, where strategic philanthropy meets impact.
2:01.6	Tax season is the perfect time to open a JCP donor advised fund,
	...

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