The Hague to the Rescue: Orthodox Millionaire Offers a Million Dollars to Fight the Draft via the ICC
Satmar multimillionaire Yoeli Landau has offered a million dollars to fight the Israeli ultra-Orthodox communities' battle against IDF conscription. Among the measures are legal aid for yeshiva students and filing complaints with the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The plan was presented to the Gur Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, who gave no answer but did not reject it. The conversation was publicized by a Channel 13 correspondent.
Satmar multimillionaire Yoeli Landau has offered a million dollars to fight the Israeli ultra-Orthodox communities' battle against IDF conscription. Among the proposed measures are organizing legal aid for yeshiva students and filing complaints against Israel with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This was reported on Thursday, August 6. Landau presented the plan at a meeting with the Gur Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, who heads Israel's largest Hasidic community and is considered the most influential leader of the Council of Torah Sages of the Agudat Yisrael party. During the meeting, the Rebbe gave no answer to the proposal but did not oppose it. The conversation was publicized by a Channel 13 correspondent. According to Landau's plan, complaints are to be sent to The Hague regarding arrests of draft evaders, alleged inequality in the application of the law, differences in treatment of Haredim and Arabs, and harsh detentions during demonstrations. This is not the first contact between the magnate and the Gur Hasidim. In June 2026, Landau provided his private plane to the Gur Rebbe for a trip to the US, where he collected donations for yeshivas that lost part of their funding due to sanctions. About 440 million shekels were raised. Landau is an American businessman and philanthropist from New York, a member of the Satmar Hasidic community, known for its anti-Zionist stance.