Israel's haredi draft crisis intensifies as court ruling forces action, while political divisions and protests make it difficult to see a path forward.
For months, the coalition’s showdown over haredi (ultra-Orthodox) enlistment unfolded like a drama with no final act – all buildup, no climax, and plenty of stalling.
Then came Wednesday, when two developments, one from within the haredi world and one from the High Court of Justice, collided to signal that the era of delay is ending and the crisis is hitting zero hour yet again.
The day began with the Lithuanian rabbinic leadership finally breaking its silence about the controversial haredi conscription bill that has stalled in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
After weeks of internal debate and growing pressure, Rabbis Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch issued what can best be described as “a pale green light.”
They authorized Degel Hatorah’s MKs to resume discussions in the committee on what has become known as “the Bismuth draft law,” but they withheld approval of the law itself.
