Lapid Proposes Sanctions Against Haredim Over Military Draft Refusal

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has escalated tensions with the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community (Haredim) by proposing severe sanctions if they continue to refuse military service. Speaking on Israeli army radio, Lapid stated that Haredim should face consequences such as losing access to government budgets, passports, and travel privileges to Ukraine, particularly to the city of Uman, where many Haredim travel annually for Rosh Hashanah celebrations. This statement comes amid a growing crisis regarding the recruitment of Haredi individuals into the Israeli military, which has been a contentious issue in Israeli society. Lapid emphasized that military service is a matter of values and that Haredim must enlist alongside other Israelis. His comments reflect a broader opposition to the current government coalition's push for exemptions that allow approximately 60,000 religious Jews to avoid conscription each year, a move critics label the 'evasion law.' The opposition is urging the new Israeli Defense Minister, Yisrael Katz, to take action against these exemptions once he assumes office.