A new Haredi initiative will offer financial benefits worth hundreds of shekels to yeshiva students who evade military service, according to journalist Ari Kalman. The program is drawing backlash for incentivizing draft-dodging as the IDF faces manpower shortages. No further details on the funding or scope have been published.
A controversial Haredi initiative offers financial incentives to yeshiva students who avoid military conscription, journalist Ari Kalman reported on Sunday. The program, which provides benefits of several hundred shekels per recipient, has drawn sharp criticism as the IDF grapples with personnel shortages amid extended reserve duty. The exact scope, funding sources, and organizational backing remain unconfirmed. This is the first report of such a program, and it appears distinct from existing Kollel stipends or the government's existing yeshiva-student exemption framework. The initiative could deepen societal tensions over unequal military service — a recurring flashpoint in Israeli coalition politics, with Haredi parties currently in the governing coalition.
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