Laly Deri Leads Protest March Advocating for Ultra-Orthodox IDF Draft

January 14, 2025

2:45 PM

Reading time: 4 minutes


On Tuesday, Laly Deri, a mother who tragically lost her son, Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Saadia Yaakov, in battle during the Gaza conflict in June, led a powerful protest march calling for the ultra-Orthodox community to be drafted into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The march, which took place from Mount Herzl to the Knesset, was driven by the emotional plea of families like Deri's, who want to see greater shared responsibility in defending the country.

The protest was part of a wider debate within the Knesset over the contentious issue of the ultra-Orthodox draft law. Historically, ultra-Orthodox Israelis studying in yeshivas have been exempt from military service, a practice that has long been a point of division in Israeli society. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has only intensified calls for reform in this area, highlighting the need for additional IDF manpower to confront the existential threats facing the nation.

Deri explained that the march was not just about demanding military service from the ultra-Orthodox but about calling for unity and collective responsibility: “We simply want to cry out and say 'enough, we can't continue to carry this stretcher alone. We need other people to join.'"

Deri was joined by Capt. (res.) Idan Siboni, Saadia’s former commander, who has served over 200 days of reserve duty during the ongoing war. Siboni’s participation underscores the urgency of the call for equal responsibility, particularly as Israel faces its current security challenges. The protest attracted a broad cross-section of Israeli society, with participants from all backgrounds—religious, secular, and from both the Left and Right—united in their message.

A Call for Shared Responsibility

While Deri emphasized that the goal was not to erase the ultra-Orthodox community's cultural or religious identity, she made it clear that the nation needs all its citizens to join in defending it. “We are asking them to join this nation, to join the call for mutual responsibility—the most obvious thing in the culture of the Jewish people,” she said.

She framed the current conflict as an “existential war,” stating that the urgency of the situation demands immediate action rather than prolonged debates. “In an existential war, we don’t have time or strength or the ability for argument or long and complex negotiations,” Deri concluded.

The march and the ongoing debate reflect the deepening divide within Israeli society over the role of the ultra-Orthodox in the IDF and the broader responsibility each citizen must bear in defending the country.

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