Defending Religious Freedom and Equality in a Year of National Turmoil

Amid one of the most turbulent periods in Israel’s history, Israelis have realized just how intertwined security and religion are

26/06/2025 16:44

Tags: Religious Freedom ·  Free Speech ·  Religious Discrimination

IDF military funeral, source: Wikipedia

Amid one of the most turbulent periods in Israel’s history, Hiddush has emerged as a critical force in defending democracy, religious freedom, and equality. Israelis have realized just how intertwined security and religion are, especially after decades of government surrender to Haredi demands to exempt yeshiva students from enlistment to the IDF or national service.

From challenging illegal ultra-Orthodox funding deals to securing marriage rights and civil burial access, Hiddush’s legal activism continues to shape a more just and pluralistic Israeli society.

The ongoing war, political volatility, and the judicial crisis have only intensified the urgency of Hiddush’s mission. But, despite growing threats to Israel’s democratic foundations, Hiddush has made landmark progress in a number of key areas:

1. Fighting Illegal Government Funding for the Haredi Sector

Hiddush scored major legal victories in halting billions in state funding illegally allocated to ultra-Orthodox education networks and welfare programs.

● Food security program: Hiddush helped block the Shas party’s attempt to funnel 600 million NIS under the guise of “food security,” which would have disproportionately benefited ultra-Orthodox families. The result: doubling of the national food security budget to 180 million NIS, and a court-ordered overhaul of funding criteria, ensuring a more equitable distribution.

● Illegal education funding: In parallel, Hiddush stopped 600 million to 1 billion NIS in planned annual funding to ultra-Orthodox school networks that flout legal requirements, and don’t teach the core curriculum. After petitioning the Supreme Court, Hiddush succeeded in freezing the transfer of funds. A follow-up petition in 2025 demands that continued funding be contingent on full core-curriculum compliance and that prior illegal allocations be returned.

2. Expanding Civil and Pluralistic Burial Rights

Hiddush has led multiple legal efforts to ensure that civil burial rights—enshrined in law since 1996—are honored in practice:

● Policy reform: Hiddush is pressuring state institutions to provide equal burial packages for non-Orthodox funerals.

● Military funerals: Following successful litigation in the past that forced the IDF to offer pluralistic military burial for fallen soldiers, Hiddush is demanding the IDF provide bereaved families with better information and access to non-Orthodox burial options, an especially urgent need following the October 7th war and a surge in military casualties.

● A Supreme Court petition, together with IRAC, aims to establish pluralistic burial options in greater Jerusalem. Elsewhere, Hiddush is defending local civil burial associations from religious councils seeking to monopolize burial services.

3. Revolutionizing Marriage Freedom through Utah Marriages

In a landmark breakthrough, Hiddush’s litigation forced the state to recognize online marriages conducted via Utah County (USA), bringing Israel the closest it’s ever been to having civil marriages. These civil marriages—performed remotely—offer Israeli couples an alternative to the Orthodox-only option that currently exists for Jews in Israel.

● A record 5,316 Israelis married this way in 2024, a nearly tenfold increase from earlier years.

● Legal support and advocacy: Hiddush provides legal aid to couples facing discrimination, including same-sex and interfaith couples, and is working to ensure equal rights in child registration and spousal residency.

● Public awareness gap: Although 67% of Israelis support marriage equality, nearly 70% remain unaware of the Utah option, underscoring the importance and potential of Hiddush’s ongoing efforts to expand public knowledge and access.

4. Defending Women of the Wall

Hiddush has taken on the legal representation of a group of petitioners, including the Women’s Justice Center and Kolech: Religious Women’s Forum, seeking the right to pray with Torah scrolls and hold services in the main Western Wall plaza. The case, long delayed by the State, has been consolidated with other petitions and is finally advancing.

5. Enforcing Oversight of Haredi Schools

Hiddush continues to campaign against unlicensed ultra-Orthodox schools that operate without the required supervision and sidestep national education standards. Following successful litigation against illegal funding, Hiddush plans to resume its legal challenge against unlicensed Haredi schools in Jerusalem that have an estimated 20,000 students.

Hiddush has stood firm against growing religious encroachment in the Israel Defense Forces

6. Promoting Women’s Representation on Religious Councils

While legal gains have been made by Hiddush—including Ministry guidelines and a binding directive from the Attorney General—implementation has lagged. Hiddush is preparing to renew its legal battle in late 2025 to ensure women are fairly represented in managing Israel’s religious institutions.

7. Combating Religious Coercion in the IDF

Hiddush has stood firm against growing religious encroachment in the Israel Defense Forces:

● Searches for chametz: Even as the Supreme Court rejected Hiddush’s petition against the overreach of army-wide bans on chametz (leavened products), the Court still prohibited invasive searches of soldiers’ belongings—an important win for individual rights.

● ‘Messiah tags’: Hiddush raised the alarm around ‘Messiah tags’ being distributed by Chabad affiliates to soldiers. After our intervention, the IDF Chief of Staff ordered their removal, though the issue persists. Hiddush is closely working with a group of parents of soldiers in monitoring issues where there is a clash of religion and the military.

8. Defending Equality in the Draft Law

As political battles rage over draft exemptions for Haredim, Hiddush is preparing to challenge any law that violates Supreme Court mandates on equal burden-sharing. Should a new draft law be passed that undermines equality, Hiddush intends to petition for its repeal.

9. Addressing Religious Discrimination in Public Services

Hiddush has taken steps to expose and end discriminatory practices that prioritize ultra-Orthodox citizens in public healthcare and land allocation.

● Healthcare inequities: Despite legal obligations, HMOs have continued to offer preferential service to ultra-Orthodox communities. Hiddush is pressing for investigations and criminal accountability, in order to ensure that all Israelis enjoy equal access to health services.

● Land misuse: Hiddush is awaiting key information from a Freedom of Information request to combat politicized and preferential land allocations that benefit religious institutions.

10. Preventing Religionization of Public Schools

At the public, secular Dror School, Hiddush intervened after students were pressured to don tefillin by a Chabad-affiliated rabbi, who was also allowed to teach classes on the school premises. With our support and pressure, a group of parents were able to push for this initiative to be moved from the open school space into the vice-principal's office, and ensured parental consent for participation.

11. Holding Elected Officials Accountable

In a rare ethics complaint, Hiddush demanded disciplinary action against MK Aryeh Deri, the leader of Shas, who has failed to perform almost any of his legislative duties despite drawing a full public salary, car, and funding for three assistants to help carry out his role as a Member of Knesset. Since his flouting of his legislative duties is so extreme and unparalleled, Hiddush is calling for a forfeiture of his salary and repayment of public resources.

12. Protecting Free Speech in the Public Sphere

When police in Bnei Brak forcibly removed Naor Narkis, a secular activist, distributing information on education and military service, Hiddush issued a strong legal protest. They demanded clarification on the legality of the action and vowed to pursue reinstatement of the outreach booth—exposing the double standard compared to religious outreach that is allowed in public spaces. If necessary, Hiddush will follow up with litigation against the police and the Bnei Brak municipality.

Conclusion

In a climate of escalating religious coercion and democratic erosion, Hiddush remains a vital defender of civil liberties, religious diversity, and equal rights in Israel, and our work is more necessary than ever. Whether in the courts, media, or halls of power, Hiddush continues to amplify the voices of Israelis who believe in a country that lives up to the promise of its Declaration of Independence: freedom of religion and equality for all.