Israeli Analyst Calls to End Arrests of Ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva Students to Improve Integration

Israeli commentator Yishai Englman argues that the current policy of arresting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students must be stopped despite its legality. He contends that this approach does not encourage military enlistment but instead alienates young men, deepens societal divisions, and harms prospects for change within the Haredi community.

Englman criticizes the harsh moral, religious, and social treatment of the ultra-Orthodox by both their leadership and the broader Israeli society. He states that the arrests extinguish the Zionist tendencies present in some individuals despite the anti-Zionist stance of the community’s political and spiritual leaders. Rather than fostering enlistment, the arrests force young men to choose sides in a religious conflict, pushing fence-sitters to align more strongly with the Haredi establishment.

He highlights troubling cases where yeshiva students attempting to enlist are detained for hours due to prior draft evasion designations, deterring others from following suit. Englman stresses that the average young Haredi man is not to blame, as he grows up in an environment with limited real choice and faces severe personal and social consequences if he enlists. The responsibility for change lies with the community’s leadership and the wider Israeli public.

Englman calls for a collective effort across political lines to reform the system thoughtfully and respectfully. He advocates for cooperation with internal reformers, such as the growing number of Haredi Hesder yeshivas, to facilitate integration not only into the military but also into Israel’s economy and society. He emphasizes the need for mutual respect, trust, and mechanisms that support the emergence of a new, more integrated ultra-Orthodox society.