Israeli Minister’s Dance Sparks Political Crisis Over Haredi Army Exemptions
A viral wedding video reignites Israel’s long-standing debate on Haredi military service amid growing public anger and coalition tensions.
Watan-A “minister’s dance” at a wedding inside Israel has sparked a new political crisis within the ruling coalition, after Housing Minister and head of the “United Torah Judaism” party, Yitzhak Goldknopf, was seen dancing to a controversial song that includes the phrase “We would rather die than enlist” — a direct reference to the Haredi community’s refusal to serve in the Israeli army.
The leaked video from the wedding caused a stir across social media and reignited the heated debate over the exemption of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews from military service — an issue that religious parties in the Israeli government continue to use as leverage to remain in the coalition. Goldknopf himself has threatened to block the budget and push for early elections if a law is not passed to exempt Haredi youth from conscription.
The minister was eventually forced to issue an official clarification, stating that he attended the wedding in a personal capacity and did not endorse the content of the song, adding that he “remained in place so as not to ruin the atmosphere of the celebration,” in an attempt to ease public and political anger.
Haredi Draft Exemption Crisis Deepens Amid Gaza War
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped in to contain the fallout, issuing a statement praising the minister’s behavior and saying: “There is no place for songs opposing military service,” emphasizing that Goldknopf had clearly expressed his disapproval of the song.
However, the crisis did not subside. Calls for the minister’s dismissal have continued, while Haredi groups defended their long-standing opposition to conscription, insisting that full-time religious study is a “sacred obligation.” Public resentment is mounting over the exemption of hundreds of thousands of religious youth from service — especially in light of the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Haredim make up a significant portion of the population in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak and wield strong political influence within the government, making any discussion about their conscription a “red line” that could threaten the coalition’s stability.
It is worth noting that this controversy recurs in every parliamentary cycle, but it has reached a peak now due to pressure from the military, which is facing a shortage in manpower and is pushing to amend the conscription law to apply to everyone without exceptions.
