Netanyahu plans ‘broad government,’ backs crackdown on ultra-Orthodox draft evaders

In closed-door meeting, Israel’s prime minister signals plans to form a broad coalition with centrist parties and to reverse course on ultra-Orthodox draft evaders.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said legislation shielding ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from arrest for ignoring military orders will not return under Israel’s next government, acknowledging that the measure failed to increase ultra-Orthodox enlistment.

Speaking during a closed-door discussion, Netanyahu said the temporary arrangement had been intended to reduce tensions surrounding enforcement and encourage more ultra-Orthodox men to join the IDF. He said the effort had not achieved its objectives and promised that the government formed after the October 27 election would take a different approach.

Netanyahu said he intended to establish “a broad national government” that would enact “a full enlistment law that meets the IDF’s needs.”

“Whoever does not study Torah will enlist — or go to prison,” he added.

The statement marked a sharp rhetorical shift less than three weeks after Netanyahu’s coalition pushed the arrest-freeze measure through the Knesset as part of a package of legislation sought by ultra-Orthodox parties.

The law passed its final readings on July 14 by a vote of 58-54. It created a temporary prohibition on arrests, investigations and other enforcement actions against qualifying yeshiva students who had failed to report for military service.

To qualify, unmarried students were required to declare that they studied in a recognized yeshiva for at least 45 hours a week. Married students studying in a kollel were required to complete at least 40 hours. Yeshiva administrators or authorized representatives were also required to submit declarations confirming the students’ attendance.

Although formally presented as a temporary measure, the arrangement could have remained in place for several months because of legal provisions extending temporary legislation during an election period.

The law never took effect. The High Court of Justice froze it less than 24 hours after its passage and later extended the injunction while considering petitions demanding that the legislation be struck down.

During a July 28 hearing, lawyers representing the attorney general and the Knesset’s legal adviser argued that the law created discriminatory criminal enforcement by granting ultra-Orthodox draft evaders protections unavailable to other Israelis who ignored military orders.

The Knesset’s legal representative also argued that lawmakers had improperly transformed legislation originally intended to promote ultra-Orthodox integration into the military into a measure suspending enforcement against those who did not enlist. The government declined to send representatives to defend the law at the hearing.

Approximately 72,000 ultra-Orthodox men between the ages of 18 and 24 are eligible for service but have not complied with conscription orders, while the IDF has said it urgently needs about 12,000 additional recruits. Around 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach military age each year, but fewer than 10% enlist.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir had opposed the arrest-freeze law before its passage, describing it as “clearly and unequivocally inconsistent” with the military’s personnel requirements. Zamir warned that granting broad immunity from enforcement would damage trust among soldiers and reservists already carrying an extended wartime burden.

The IDF has simultaneously expanded service options designed to allow ultra-Orthodox recruits to maintain their religious way of life. A new military order establishes specialized service frameworks and oversight intended to preserve religious standards, while the army recorded its largest dedicated ultra-Orthodox recruitment day earlier this year, when 537 men joined combat and combat support tracks.

Netanyahu’s announcement nevertheless drew immediate skepticism from opposition figures, who accused him of reversing course only as the election approached.

“There is no limit to the cynicism,” lawmaker Chili Tropper said, arguing that Netanyahu had repeatedly declined to advance an effective conscription measure while siding with ultra-Orthodox parties against the military’s position.

“It is simply impossible to believe him,” Tropper added.

Yisrael Beytenu Chairman MK Avigdor Liberman accused Netanyahu of attempting to divert attention from his government’s failures.

“One thing is certain — he has no government without the draft dodgers,” Liberman said.

Former UN ambassador Gilad Erdan, who is seeking support among right-wing and centrist voters, also rejected Netanyahu’s promise, saying voters were no longer prepared to accept pledges about conscription or national unity. Erdan added that his faction would not join a narrow government led by any candidate.

2026 Israeli electionBenjamin NetanyahuUltra-Orthodox draft