Sep 06, 2026

Jewish News Today: Israel's Supreme Court Strikes Down Ultra-Orthodox Draft Exemption as Selichot Draws Half a Million to Western Wall

Israel's Supreme Court has unanimously struck down a controversial regulation that had shielded ultra-Orthodox draft refusers from arrest, while separately, half a million worshippers gathered at the Western Wall for Selichot prayers. Both stories carry direct implications for diaspora Jews as the High Holy Day season begins.

Supreme Court Reverses Ultra-Orthodox Arrest Exemption

According to Jüdische Allgemeine, Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously annulled a highly contested regulation introduced in July that had prohibited police and the Israel Defense Forces from arresting ultra-Orthodox men who refuse military service. The court's unanimous ruling removes a protection that had been in place for only weeks, reigniting one of the most divisive domestic debates in Israeli society: the question of who bears the burden of military service during wartime.

The decision comes at a moment of acute sensitivity. With the IDF fighting on multiple fronts and the families of soldiers — many of whom have been killed or wounded — watching ultra-Orthodox communities resist conscription, the exemption had provoked widespread public anger. The court's ruling reflects the pressure that the broader Israeli public and the judiciary have placed on a political arrangement long considered untouchable.

IDF Chief Declares Doctrine Has Changed Since October 7

The manpower question sits alongside a broader strategic reckoning. According to JNS, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Zamir stated that Israel has "fundamentally changed its security doctrine" following the Hamas-led massacre of October 7. He said the military must be expanded with the necessary manpower and equipped with advanced capabilities to meet its evolving missions. The statement underlines why the Supreme Court's ruling on ultra-Orthodox conscription carries operational as well as political weight: the army's own leadership is publicly calling for more soldiers.

Hamas Security Chief Captured in Gaza City

JNS reports that Israeli forces arrested Muein al-Arabid, described as Hamas's security chief, in the heart of Gaza City. A JNS analysis characterises the arrest as a strategic message, arguing that Israel is signalling it will not allow Hamas to exploit any ceasefire to regroup, while also indicating it is not seeking a return to full-scale war. The capture of a senior Hamas figure inside Gaza City — rather than on its outskirts — is being read as a demonstration of the IDF's continued reach and intelligence capability within the enclave.

Ben-Gvir Puts Forward Gaza Emigration Proposal

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has unveiled a plan he describes as voluntary emigration for Gaza's population, according to JNS. The minister said his party aims to facilitate the relocation of approximately 1.86 million Gazans within seven years, and pledged to implement the policy after the next election. Ben-Gvir framed the proposal as party policy rather than current government policy. The plan is likely to draw international scrutiny and has already attracted attention in diaspora communities concerned about how Israeli political proposals are perceived and weaponised in debates about the conflict.

Half a Million at the Western Wall for Selichot

On a more reflective note, JNS reports that approximately half a million worshippers attended Selichot prayers at the Western Wall — Judaism's second-holiest site. The event was broadcast on giant screens along the walls of the Old City. The scale of attendance is a reminder that, even amid war and political upheaval, the Jewish calendar continues to draw enormous crowds to Jerusalem as the Days of Awe approach. For diaspora communities beginning their own Selichot services this week, the images from the Western Wall carry particular resonance.

Antisemitism: In Germany and in Middle-Class America

Two separate reports highlight the continuing reality of antisemitism in the diaspora. Jüdische Allgemeine published an analysis of the far-right AfD party in Germany, examining the gap between the party's public positioning — which includes vocal pro-Israel statements and motions such as a proposed ban on Hezbollah — and what the newspaper characterises as the antisemitic currents within the party itself. The report is a caution to German Jewish communities about taking political actors at face value when they claim to stand against antisemitism.

In the United States, JNS published a personal account of an encounter with antisemitism, raising the question of whether Jew-hatred has become normalised in middle-class American life. A separate JNS opinion piece argued that combating antisemitism requires full community mobilisation, describing what it calls a "360-degree approach" to Jewish civic engagement in which the entire community — not only advocacy organisations — must be active participants.

What This Means for Diaspora Communities

This news cycle arrives in the days before Rosh Hashanah, a moment when Jewish communities in the UK, Germany, the United States and beyond are gathering in synagogues and reflecting on the year that has passed. The year since October 7 has been one of the most turbulent in recent memory for diaspora Jews: elevated antisemitism, fraught public debates about Israel, and questions about belonging and safety that many had hoped were behind them.

The Supreme Court ruling on ultra-Orthodox conscription is primarily an Israeli domestic matter, but it will be watched closely by diaspora Jews who understand that the long-term social contract within Israel — over who sacrifices and who is exempted — shapes the country's cohesion and its ability to defend itself. The IDF chief's call for expanded manpower makes that connection explicit.

The reports from Germany and the United States are a reminder that the threat of antisemitism is not abstract. As communities prepare for the High Holy Days, the question of how to respond — whether through civic engagement, communal solidarity, or political pressure — remains urgent and unresolved.