Israel exempts ultra-Orthodox from military

Israel's parliament, the Israel — Knesset, approved laws on July 13-14, 2026, that freeze arrests of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) draft evaders and enshrine Torah study as a foundational value, effectively exempting Haredi men from mandatory military service. The legislation, backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Israel — Likud party, is seen as a bid to secure support from ultra-Orthodox parties ahead of the October 27 elections. The laws face opposition from military chief Eyal Zamir, who called them inconsistent with the IDF's needs, and from opposition leader Yair Lapid, who denounced them. The Supreme Court had previously ruled such exemptions illegal. The move comes amid ongoing manpower shortages in the IDF after nearly three years of wars.