Current sectionHaaretz ExplainsShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeUltra-Orthodox men protest against military recruitment and call for the release of detained draft resisters outside a military prison in central Israel, last month. Credit: Ariel Schalit/AP Days before Israel heads into an election season, the coalition enshrined Torah study in a semi-constitutional Basic Law and froze enforcement against tens of thousands of draft evaders. Legal experts warn the move could pave the way for permanent exemptionsShai Herzberg06:55 PM • July 16 2026 IDTDays before the Knesset is set to adjourn for the summer and enter a stormy election season, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition on Monday passed two closely linked pieces of legislation aimed at shielding ultra-Orthodox men from military conscription. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israeli politicsKnessetIsrael High CourtUltra-OrthodoxHaredim IDFBenjamin NetanyahuCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel NewsIranMahmoud AhmadinejadLindsey GrahamPollKnesset Israel ElectionsHaaretz PodcastHow the Azaria Affair Foreshadowed the IDF's New ImpunityCan Israel's New One-line Law Shield Haredim From IDF Service?Iran Tells Yemen's Houthis to Close Red Sea Oil Route if U.S. Strikes Power GridNot Just Aid and Investment: Decoupling From America Risks Israel's AI FutureFrom the Eye of the Storm, a Young Woman Captures Jerusalem's Rising ViolenceRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIInside the Mossad Plot to Install Ahmadinejad as Iran's LeaderThe Original Tradwives of Ancient RomeEgypt Lost the World Cup. But Was the Referee Really Jewish?Eisenkot Is Quietly Gaining Ground in Likud Territory. Enough to Beat Netanyahu?Ro Khanna, U.S. Lawmaker & Israel Critic, Says West Bank Settlers 'Detained' HimI Joined Rep. Ro Khanna on His West Bank Visit. Here's What I Saw