Israel’s Newest Army Recruits: the Ultra-Orthodox

At Israel’s founding in 1948, ultra-Orthodox men were exempt from military service in exchange for support of the secular state, but tensions escalated after a war in Gaza in 2023. The Supreme Court ruled that Haredi men were no longer exempt, leading to protests and draft orders for 10,000 Haredi men, with only 338 showing up. The story follows three Haredi teenagers – Chaim Krausz, Itamar Greenberg, and Yechiel Wais – who represent different perspectives on military service and the future of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel.

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