By: Fern Sidman

Confidential talks were recently held in the haredi stronghold of Bnei Brak between a representative of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior ultra-Orthodox rabbinic leaders, in a bid to address mounting tensions surrounding Israel’s military draft law and the arrests of yeshiva students, i24News has learned.

According to the report on Thursday at i24News, the meetings took place separately at the homes of two of the most influential figures in the Lithuanian-haredi world — Rabbi Dov Lando and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch — both senior leaders of the Degel HaTorah faction. The discussions centered on whether the United States could play a diplomatic role in mediating or influencing the dispute, particularly in light of the wave of arrests of draft-eligible yeshiva students who refuse to report for military service.

Sources told i24News that haredi leaders, citing a precedent from Eastern Europe, raised the example of previous U.S. diplomatic intervention in military conscription issues in Ukraine. In that case, American officials had engaged with Kyiv over religious exemptions for clergy and seminary students. The Bnei Brak meetings reportedly examined whether similar channels could be opened between Washington and Jerusalem to ease the current standoff.

While no formal agreement emerged from the talks, those present indicated that the U.S. representative listened closely to the rabbis’ concerns, took extensive notes, and expressed an understanding of the community’s position. The possibility of follow-up discussions, both in Israel and with American Jewish leaders, was left on the table.

In a separate development that spotlighted the seriousness of the crisis within the haredi leadership, i24News reported that Rabbi Dov Lando made a rare personal visit to Beit Lid Military Prison earlier this week. The nonagenarian Torah scholar went there to meet Refael and Baruch Itzhakov, two yeshiva students from Tel Aviv who had been detained after refusing to comply with IDF induction orders.

Associates of Rabbi Lando told i24News that the arrests have caused him deep distress, to the point of disrupting his sleep. “The rabbi is profoundly troubled by the sight of young Torah students behind bars,” one confidant said. “He feels this situation is an affront to the dignity of Torah study and the foundations of our community.”

The meetings and the prison visit come at a time of heightened friction between the Israeli government and the haredi sector over military service. Under current Israeli law, most full-time yeshiva students receive exemptions from mandatory IDF service, a policy long criticized by secular and national-religious Israelis who see it as inequitable.

However, recent High Court rulings and political pressures have pushed the government to narrow these exemptions, leading to stepped-up enforcement. In recent weeks, as i24News has documented, military police have begun arresting some students who ignored induction notices, sparking large-scale street protests in haredi neighborhoods, including Bnei Brak and Jerusalem.

For the haredi leadership, the arrests of Refael and Baruch Itzhakov have become symbolic of a broader clash over religious autonomy. While most previous enforcement actions ended with fines or conditional releases, the incarceration of yeshiva students in a military prison has triggered unusually sharp responses from top rabbis.

The fact that senior haredi figures are engaging with a representative of the U.S. Secretary of State marks a notable step in the internationalization of what is, at its core, a domestic Israeli policy battle. i24News noted that previous interactions between U.S. diplomats and haredi leaders have generally focused on religious freedom issues abroad, rather than internal Israeli governance.

By invoking the Ukraine precedent, the rabbis appear to be signaling their belief that Washington could, under certain conditions, weigh in on conscription matters without overstepping into Israel’s sovereign policymaking. Whether the U.S. will take any active role remains unclear.

The outreach to American officials also comes amid a complex political landscape in Israel, with the government facing pressure from multiple directions. Secular parties are demanding the end of what they call “blanket exemptions,” while haredi political factions — essential to the current coalition — are pushing back against any erosion of the status quo.

i24News has reported that the controversy is also impacting coalition stability, as some lawmakers warn that heavy-handed enforcement against yeshiva students could fracture the government’s parliamentary base. At the same time, segments of the public view the arrests as a necessary assertion of equality in military service obligations.

As of now, no public statements have been issued by the U.S. State Department regarding the Bnei Brak meetings. Israeli defense officials, contacted by i24News, declined to comment on the substance of the discussions, saying only that “military service policy is set by the government in accordance with the law.”

For the haredi community, however, the symbolic weight of these developments is considerable. The rare sight of Rabbi Lando entering a military prison, coupled with behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving a high-ranking American envoy, reflects the gravity with which leaders view the current moment.

Whether these moves will translate into any concrete changes in enforcement policy, or simply serve as gestures of solidarity with those affected, remains to be seen. For now, i24News reported that both the political and religious leadership are bracing for further confrontations as the draft law dispute shows no signs of abating.