Haredi Group Launches Discount Card Supporting Yeshiva Draft Resisters Amid Sanctions

The Haredi organization "Brothers We Are" has introduced a new discount card called "Ashrich" aimed at yeshiva students who evade military service, known as draft resisters. This initiative comes amid intensified enforcement measures including arrest warrants, travel bans, and tax penalties targeting these individuals. The card offers discounts ranging from 5% to 20%, and in some cases up to 50%, at over 400 businesses across Israel, including recreational venues like Jordan River rafting and extreme boating in Ashdod, as well as Haredi community shops.

According to the organization, the card is a form of economic support and solidarity with yeshiva students facing increased sanctions and rising living costs. "The goal is to show that sanctions will not break us," the group stated. The cards are personalized with the holder's name and ID number, and so far about 20,000 cards have been distributed out of a target of 100,000.

This move follows mass protests and attempts to disrupt the arrests of draft evaders. "Brothers We Are" also encourages cardholders to report businesses that refuse to honor the discounts. The campaign reflects a new layer of activism within the Haredi community alongside ongoing demonstrations and advocacy efforts related to military conscription policies.