The new legislation passed Tuesday would enshrine that only the Chief Rabbinate can issue kosher certification.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n In Israel, the right to use the word \u201ckosher\u201d on food labeling is highly regulated, with only certification bodies recognized by the Rabbinate allowed to recognize a product or establishment as meeting religious requirements.<\/p>\n The bill forms part of the coalition\u2019s agreement with the ultra-Orthodox parties to advance several contentious Haredi priorities, including a Basic Law enshrining Torah study<\/a> as a fundamental state value and a measure freezing the arrest<\/a> of Haredi draft dodgers, both of which were passed into law this week.<\/p>\n In exchange, Haredi parties would support key coalition legislation, including bills establishing a politically appointed probe into the failures surrounding the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack; curbing the powers of the attorney general; and overhauling the media.<\/p>\n \t Haredi parties say \u2018rift\u2019 with Netanyahu over, next government must pass permanent exemptions<\/p>\n Following Tuesday\u2019s passage of the law temporarily banning the arrest and prosecution of Haredi draft dodgers, ultra-Orthodox politicians in the Knesset told reporters that their \u201crift\u201d with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was over.<\/p>\n One senior member of a Haredi party told Channel 12, however, that, after the October 27 election, if the results go their way, the Haredi parties will demand legislation permanently exempting all ultra-Orthodox men from military service, and that they will insist this legislation be passed before formally joining another Netanyahu-led coalition. (Ultra-Orthodox young men mostly do not do military or national service, but this is not enshrined in law.)<\/p>\n \u201cNetanyahu proved today that we are a single [political] bloc, but that is not enough,\u201d the unnamed senior Haredi politician was quoted as saying. \u201cAfter the elections, we will demand an IDF draft law permanently [exempting Haredim from IDF service], before we establish a government. We\u2019ve learned how to work with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Channel 12 quoted unnamed military sources lamenting that, with today\u2019s law, the IDF now has no leverage to get Haredim to serve, even as it urgently needs thousands more combat soldiers, and that it will now also have to free several dozen Haredi draft dodgers from military jails.<\/p>\n Before the law was passed, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir\u00a0called the proposal \u201cinconceivable<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0saying it was \u201cclearly and unequivocally inconsistent with the IDF\u2019s needs\u201d and amounted to \u201cproviding mass exemptions from prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n Some 72,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged 18 to 24 are currently believed to be eligible for military service, but have not enlisted. The IDF has said repeatedly in recent months that it urgently needs 12,000 new recruits amid the ongoing multifront conflict.<\/p>\n The law has drawn fierce opposition from reservists, Knesset legal advisers and much of the public.<\/p>\n Ultra-Orthodox parties have sought to enshrine military service exemptions following a 2024 High Court ruling that found them unconstitutional, leading to some state benefits being curtailed. Until now, tens of thousands of Haredi yeshiva students were considered draft dodgers and are subject to arrest.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this,<\/strong> please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community.<\/strong> Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (foreground) walks past ultra-Orthodox MKs as the Knesset prepares to pass a law banning the arrests of draft dodgers that will effectively freeze ultra-Orthodox enlistment into the IDF for at least the next seven months, July 14, 2026. Netanyahu left the chamber before the vote itself. At center, with hands around his mouth, is UTJ MK Meir Porush. (Chaim Goldberg\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/F260617AVS05-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tHaredi men block Route 4 during a protest against the jailing of draft dodgers, near Bnei Brak, June 17, 2026 (Avshalom Sassoni\/Flash90)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWe can’t do this work alone.\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-200x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYes, I’ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
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