Opening: As Israel wages war, while also contending with a geopolitical affront and an international legal onslaught, it is grappling with a difficult domestic issue: recruitment of the ultra-Orthodox into the IDF. Notably, the internal division presents the most formidable threat to the coalition. About 75% of Israel’s Jews demand ultra-Orthodox conscription, but the government will fall if their petition is granted. JPPI’s experts have dealt with this seemingly intractable issue,…

Opening: Israel is preparing for its national holidays – Memorial Day and Independence Day – while enmeshed in a war whose end is not yet in sight. Many have lost their lives, and many more have been injured in body or soul. This is the high price we pay for Jewish sovereignty. May we work toward a better reality, one…

Opening: Nine out of ten Jews will soon participate in a Seder, where the story of the Exodus from Egypt will be told – once again. The story of the liberation of an enslaved people, a universal story. This year it will take on a special meaning: the state of the Jewish people is fighting – once again – for…

Opening: Israel faces three formidable external challenges: in Gaza, in Lebanon, and in the international arena. Added to this, the dispute over ultra-Orthodox IDF conscription threatens to set the Israeli street ablaze. The government is charged with navigating these challenges, but it does not enjoy the confidence of two-thirds of the public. Therefore, there is no choice but to go…

Although the IDF requires a large influx of combat reinforcements, 66,000 ultra-Orthodox men of conscription age (18-26) do not enlist. The tragedy of October 7 and the ongoing war have not altered the position of the ultra-Orthodox rabbis. This is an outrageous situation, and the overwhelming majority of Israelis demand that it be changed. A social and political crisis is…