A video from an ultra-orthodox wedding last week went viral and stoked fresh rage targeting the ultra-orthodox population.

In his column in the Jerusalem Post last Friday (see the Podcast Notes for the link), State of Tel Aviv regular, Ya’akov Katz, gave voice to the growing anger that many Israelis feel towards the ultra-orthodox population in Israel. This time, it was triggered by the wedding video, showing a prominent Rabbi leading what looked to be many hundreds, maybe more than a thousand, men in a frenzied song and dance. As they rocked to the beat, they referred to the nation of Israel as a country of heretics and celebrated their continued refusal to serve in the IDF. Well… hell hath no fury like a population that has given its all to the war effort for 17 months now, being scorned and mocked so openly. This same ultra-orthodox population also receives tens of millions of shekels in funding for their educational institutions annually from this nation of heretics. And they use this funding to provide an education that further demonizes the Israelis who serve and work, entrenching this insane cycle of entitlement, dependence, and exploitation. Ya’akov Katz is hopping mad, and rightly so. We discuss the policies, the gutter political reality, and how this very broken paradigm cannot continue. The IDF has a severe shortage of soldiers—in the draft and reserve armies. This Haredi holiday is over. Ya’akov and I get into it. And pull no punches.

You can listen to the podcast on the State of Tel Aviv site or, if you prefer, click on YouTube and have the full AV experience. Please like and subscribe. Ring the bell on YouTube. We’re working hard to build our YouTube presence and really appreciate your support.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Podcast Notes:

1) Column by Ya’akov Katz published in The Jerusalem Post, Friday March 14: “The IDF needs soldiers but Israel is paying yeshivas to dodge the draft—opinion”

This might have been possible to tolerate before October 7, but definitely not now, at a time when the IDF is missing over 10,000 soldiers to fulfill the missions it already has.

2) Column By Ya’akov Katz published in the Jewish Chronicle, Tuesday March 11, 2025: “Dismissing Israel’s Attorney-General is a distraction from government’s failures.”

Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.

He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”

Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.

Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.

Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Polen vor den Wahlen - Der Nachbar ist für viele Deutsche weit weg