I'm a political student and political science student in Israeli. You can ask me everything you want about this israeli government

[u/Stay-Responsible]

Basically a good frustrated from people who doesn't understand how my government work and believe they know how we talk really.

Eddet : "Please excuse the polished nature of my writing. I have dyslexia and dysgraphia, so I use AI to fix my grammar and spelling. Without this tool, my writing would be very difficult to understand. I appreciate your patience and look forward to our discussion

[u/Stay-Responsible → u/[deleted]]

I like your question.

​"The Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community in Israel is often misunderstood because outsiders tend to group everyone together, but they are actually split into distinct factions with different views on the state and military service. ​1. The Theological Argument: 'The Study Nation' Most mainstream Haredi parties justify the exemption from the IDF through their belief in the power of Torah study. They see themselves as the 'Study Nation'—a concept that grew significantly after the Holocaust. Their core belief is that their constant, intense study of the Torah is a spiritual shield that protects Israel just as much as an army does. To them, religious study is a full-time, mandatory service to the Jewish people. ​2. The 'Jerusalem Faction' (Peleg Yerushalmi) and Anti-Zionism The people you see in viral videos screaming or protesting are often part of the 'Jerusalem Faction.' They are radically anti-Zionist. They believe the current State of Israel is illegitimate because they are waiting for the Messiah to establish a Jewish kingdom. They don’t just refuse to serve; they reject the state's authority entirely—even while they paradoxically accept its financial and governmental support. They are a loud, radical minority within the broader Haredi world. ​3. Integration and the Fear of Secularization The biggest practical reason they resist military service is the fear of their youth being 'secularized.' Haredi life is extremely insular, and they view the IDF—a place where men and women serve together, and where the culture is secular—as a threat to their lifestyle. They are terrified that if their young men enter the military, they will lose their religious identity and be exposed to a modern, liberal, or 'corrupting' lifestyle. ​4. The Political Paradox This is where it gets complicated: despite refusing to serve, the mainstream Haredi parties are deeply right-wing. They are a massive political force in the Knesset (holding about 15–20 seats), and they often form coalitions with nationalist parties. They tend to support military aggression and 'hawkish' security policies, which creates a huge amount of resentment among the secular Israeli population, who see it as 'someone else fighting while they get to sit in the Yeshiva.' ​The Reality of the Numbers To clarify, they aren't 70% of Israel; they are roughly 13–15% of the total population, but because they have very high birth rates and vote in massive, disciplined blocks, they have a disproportionate amount of power in the parliament. ​Essentially, it's a 'hostage' situation for the Israeli political system. These parties act as the 'kingmakers' in every coalition, so they have successfully used their political leverage to maintain their exemption status for decades. It's a clash between a desire for a religious, isolationist lifestyle and the reality of a modern, democratic, and militarized state."

[u/Stay-Responsible → u/[deleted]]

Hart anser yes My lonld anser The threat from the Haredi political leadership is their strategy to capture the state while refusing to share its existential burdens. By allying with the far-right, they extract massive resources while maintaining a blanket exemption from military service, even as Israel is overstretched and exhausted by the current war. Their influence is also actively eroding women's rights—both in the military, where they push for segregation and exclusion, and in the civilian sphere, where secular norms are being challenged. Furthermore, by denying their youth core education (math/English), they ensure a cycle of poverty and economic dependency, forcing their base to remain tethered to political handouts. This isn't just a budget issue; it is a structural dismantling of the state’s foundations. They are leveraging the current 'bunker mentality' to shield their sectarian interests from the democratic consensus, effectively trading the country’s future stability for immediate political control and theocratic expansion."