Why Haredi leadership is terrified of the Hashmonaim Brigade

In the heart of Israel's ongoing debate over national service, a profound anxiety grips the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community: the fear that mandatory military conscription could unravel the fabric of their devout lifestyle. As the Israeli Supreme Court’s landmark June 2024 ruling mandates the drafting of Haredi yeshiva students, ending decades of blanket exemptions, leaders and educators within the community warn of a "spiritual catastrophe." Yet, emerging stories of Haredim who balance army service with unwavering religious observance challenge this narrative, suggesting that faith and duty might coexist more harmoniously than feared.

The Haredi exemption from military service, rooted in Israel's founding compromises, has long been justified by the belief that full-time Torah study serves as a spiritual shield for the nation. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a late influential Haredi leader, once equated yeshiva study to military defense, arguing it protects Israel more than tanks or jets. Today, with over 66,000 Haredi men of draft age exempt, the community's rabbis express terror that exposure to the secular Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) could lead to assimilation and abandonment of strict observance. "The army is a melting pot that dilutes our values," said Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf, leader of the United Torah Judaism party, in a recent Knesset address. "Our students will return changed, their souls tainted by the outside world."

This fear isn't baseless. Historical data shows that Haredim who enlist often face community ostracism, with some families sitting shiva (mourning) as if their sons had died. A 2023 study by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 20-30% of Haredi recruits experienced a decline in religious observance post-service, before the Hasmonean Brigade was established. Protests in Bnei Brak and Jerusalem have turned violent, with Haredi demonstrators clashing with police over draft notices, chanting "We'd rather die than enlist." Community leaders argue that the IDF's secular environment, where soldiers encounter diverse ideologies, technology, and social norms, poses an existential threat to a way of life insulated by yeshiva walls.

Yet, a growing counter-narrative suggests this terror may be overstated. Programs like Netzach Yehuda (Nahal Haredi), a specialized IDF battalion for ultra-Orthodox recruits, allow soldiers to maintain strict observance: separate kosher kitchens, daily prayer times, and rabbinical oversight. Over 3,000 Haredim have served in such units since 1999, with many reporting strengthened faith. "Army service taught me discipline that enhanced my Torah study," said Yosef Cohen, a former Nahal Haredi soldier now a rabbi in Modi'in Illit. "I prayed three times a day in uniform and returned more committed." Surveys indicate that 70% of Haredi veterans retain high levels of observance, often crediting the experience with building resilience and national pride without compromising piety.

Critics within and outside the community accuse Haredi leadership of perpetuating isolation to maintain control. "They're terrified their students will realize they can serve and still be devout," argued secular activist Avshalom Vilan in a Haaretz op-ed. "Integration threatens the rabbis' monopoly on young minds." Indeed, Haredi enlistment rates have risen modestly to 10% in recent years, driven by economic pressures, many yeshiva stipends are tied to exemptions, and a sense of shared burden amid wars with Hamas and Hezbollah. Social media buzzes with stories of Haredi heroes, like those in the Gaza war, who juggle combat with halachic adherence.

The government's push for equality, amid a shrinking secular draft pool, has intensified the clash. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, reliant on Haredi parties, faces collapse if exemptions aren't restored, yet public opinion favors conscription: 70% of Israelis support drafting Haredim, per a 2025 poll. For Haredim, the stakes are spiritual survival; for the state, it's national security.

As draft notices arrive, the real test looms: Will service erode faith, or prove it's resilient? Early signs suggest many Haredim can wear the uniform without shedding their black hats, potentially bridging Israel's deepest divide.