In a fiery rebuke against what he calls blatant incitement and illegal behavior, Yisrael Beytenu chairman and former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has issued a call to Israeli law enforcement: Do your job and arrest those who are undermining the IDF draft! His remarks were aimed squarely at senior Haredi figures who, in his words, are openly and flagrantly encouraging draft evasion at a time when Israel is still at war on multiple fronts.
Liberman singled out Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Israel’s former Sephardic Chief Rabbi, and Rabbi Dov Lando, the nonagenarian head of the Degel HaTorah party’s Council of Torah Sages and spiritual leader of the “Lithuanian” stream of ultra-Orthodox Judaism. These men, he said, are not merely voicing opposition but are actively inciting young Haredi men to defy the law, and should be prosecuted accordingly.
“Lando ordered yeshiva students not to report to the recruitment offices,” Liberman tweeted. “Yosef went further—calling on his followers to rip up their draft notices and flush them down the toilet! At the same time, dozens of illegal demonstrations and calls to dodge the draft are taking place across the country!”
About 100 Israelis - some right-wing, some further left - are marching from Mevasseret to the Knesset, demanding that the government draft the Haredi population and that the burden of service be shared pic.twitter.com/QVMo63xmjX
— Linda Dayan (@LindaDayan9) April 2, 2025
Liberman cited clauses in the Israeli Penal Code that clearly define incitement to evade military service during wartime as a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and called on law enforcement agencies to "enforce the law without fear or favoritism."
Haredi Lawmaker Fires Back with Soviet Jab
In response, United Torah Judaism (UTJ) MK Yaakov Asher sarcastically suggested that if Israeli police can't handle the situation, perhaps the services of the KGB could be enlisted—a bitter, tone-deaf jab that did little to help UTJ’s image as accusations of lawlessness swirled.
Likud and Religious Zionist Lawmakers Join the Chorus for Reform
As the country grapples with an unprecedented security burden, Liberman's call found surprising echoes among members of the coalition itself. Likud MK Tally Gotliv issued a stark warning to the government, saying it may be time to abandon efforts to pass a law that would exempt tens of thousands of Haredim from service. Instead, she proposed implementing existing law, which already mandates conscription for all citizens—including the Haredim.
🔥 Israel’s Supreme Court ends Haredi draft exemptions—what does this mean for religion-state relations? Watch the discussion with legal & rabbinic experts on the fallout for IDF manpower, coalition politics & ultra-Orthodox identity. 🎥 https://t.co/jaTiMgP8zc
— Religion and State (@religion_state) April 1, 2025
Gotliv acknowledged the logistical challenges: the IDF can’t absorb all eligible Haredi men overnight. But she emphasized that a phased, fair, and equal process must begin immediately.
Religious Zionist MK Michal Woldiger offered a compromise: pass a temporary draft law to test its effectiveness while easing public tension. But even that approach, she said, must not enshrine permanent exemptions for any group.
A Heartbreaking Plea from the Battlefield
Perhaps the most moving intervention came from Rabbi Yirmi Stavitsky, former principal of Jerusalem’s Himmelfarb High School. With deep emotion, Stavitsky recounted the devastating losses his school suffered on October 7 and in the war that followed—ten of his students made the ultimate sacrifice.
🇮🇱⚡️ #BREAKING | #Israeli Police Clash with Haredi Protesters in Jerusalem Over Draft Law
— HotTakeChronicles (@itariqshah1) March 27, 2025
Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators confront security forces as tensions flare over mandatory military service legislation. pic.twitter.com/f3ye2hXpYe
“The burden on our reservists is unsustainable,” he warned. “It’s not just unfair. It’s dangerous. Our army, and our nation, cannot survive if one sector fights and dies while another claims moral or religious superiority from the sidelines.”
Stavitsky delivered a searing moral argument: Haredim must share the duty and the honor of defending the nation. There should be no legal loopholes, no blanket exemptions, and no sanctified excuses.
“If they refuse to serve without an exemption, they must face personal consequences,” he declared, echoing the views of a growing number of Israelis who are no longer willing to tolerate this national divide.
MK Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beytenu, calls for arrest of former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, haredi leader Rabbi Dov Lando, for their anti-draft statements. https://t.co/1gVQii4Ocb
— Sharon K. Gilbert (@sharonkgilbert) April 2, 2025
A National Reckoning on Equality and Duty
As Israel continues its battle for security and survival, the issue of Haredi conscription is no longer just a legal matter—it is fast becoming a moral referendum on national unity. With reservists sacrificing careers, time with families, and even their lives, the Israeli public is demanding answers—and action.
The question now looms: Will the government finally uphold the principle of equal obligation—or will political expediency once again override justice and national cohesion?
