Haredi Leaders Call for Global Protest
haredi Draft Dodgers Sentenced as Liberman Criticizes Focus on Evasion
Bnei Brak, Israel – Two haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish men were sentenced to detention this week for refusing to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), highlighting the ongoing tensions surrounding conscription within the community. The sentences,handed down on Tuesday night,were 17 and 13 days in detention,respectively.
A haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish man protest against IDF conscription, near Bnei Brak, June 5, 2025 (credit: ERIK MARMOR/FLASH90)
Liberman: If only the haredi community focused on the countryS safety
The sentencing sparked immediate reaction, with Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman voicing strong criticism on X/Twitter. He pointed to reports of an emergency gathering at Rabbi Lando’s home following the arrests, characterizing it as a mobilization against conscription while Israeli soldiers are actively engaged in combat on multiple fronts.
“Following the arrest of draft dodgers – an emergency gathering at Rabbi Lando’s house to fight against conscription, while our soldiers are fighting on all fronts and risking thier lives,” Lieberman wrote.
He continued, arguing that if the haredi community dedicated the same fervor to national security as they do to avoiding the draft, “the