Israel’s Supreme Court orders stop to yeshivah funding for haredim required to enlist in IDF

Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday issued an interim order prohibiting the government from providing stipends to some haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, Jewish men who do not serve in the Israel Defence Forces. Read more

‘Storm over ultra-Orthodox recruitment won’t topple Netanyahu’

The issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) army enlistment reached a boiling point this week as the Netanyahu government failed, despite feverish efforts, to draft legislation to address the issue before a High Court-mandated Wednesday deadline. Read more

Neturei Karta

At demonstrations against Israel in New York, marching with our enemies (as they do at Israel parades) was a small pathetic clique of Chassidim in their distinctive uniforms called Neturei Karta, literally The Protectors of the City in Aramaic. Read more

Israeli orthodox Jews take up arms, form civil defence groups

The Oct. 7 Hamas massacre has led to a societal shift in thinking when it comes to personal defence in Israel. Read more

Israel’s new government must not abandon Jerusalem

The transfer of the Jerusalem Affairs Ministry to a Haredi party (UTJ) constitutes the abandonment of Jerusalem to non-Zionist hands. In the long run, this will lead to the loss of the capital city. Read more

Gantz tells Netanyahu the Israeli people will make his new government fail

Outgoing Minister of Defence Benny Gantz rebuked Benjamin Netanyahu and his incoming new coalition government (should it be formed) for conceding what he feels are too many concessions being made to Israel’s Haredi (ultra-orthodox) parties on the issue of IDF service, among others. Read more

War of words breaks out over start of Kashrut reform in Israel: MK calls Haredim ‘racist and ignorant’

On Sunday, the first stage of a set of reforms on kashrut certification in Israel as promoted by Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana, from PM Naftali Bennett’s Yamina Party went into effect. Read more

Alternative universe

“We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusions. The great task in life is to find reality.” Read more

Biden and Israel’s unsteady right

In an interview with the New York Times on Tuesday, presumptive President-elect Joe Biden reaffirmed his plan to return the United States to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Read more

Jewish reporter attacked in Brooklyn during protests against COVID restrictions

A reporter was attacked in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Wednesday night while covering protests by haredi Jews against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new coronavirus restrictions, including closing schools and yeshivahs, and his threatening to shutter synagogues and other houses of worship. Read more

Haredi: It’s OK to use the phone on Shabbat

ZAKA Search and Rescue volunteers visited the homes of over 60 confirmed coronavirus cases among haredi communities in Israel during this Shabbat in order to ensure they immediately self-isolate. Read more

Creating options and opportunities for haredi youth to serve in the IDF

A recent political deadlock over the issue of drafting haredi (ultra-Orthodox) youths into the Israel Defence Forces was one of the key reasons that led Israelis to the polls last week for the second time in less than six months. Read more

Jewish labels are meaningless to anti-Semites

Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau didn’t intend to say anything that would wound American Jews in the wake of the mass slaughter at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue…Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS. Read more

New Religious Leadership Needed…writes Isi Leibler

There was hardly a murmur when former Chief Rabbi Metzger was arrested for the second time and placed under house arrest on suspicion of money laundering, bribery and obstruction of justice.  Read more