In recent days, senior officials from the IDF’s Manpower Directorate, the General Staff, and the Ministry of Defense, along with experts on Haredi matters, have been holding intensive discussions with the Attorney General in preparation for the next attempt to draft Haredi men into the IDF. Since the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year and the government’s failure to pass a law regulating the status of yeshiva students, there is no legal justification for exempting Haredi individuals from military service. The IDF has set a goal of recruiting around 5,000 Haredi men by the end of the year. In the previous recruitment cycle, approximately 3,000 draft orders were sent, targeting mainly those with a higher potential for enlistment (such as Haredi men who work part-time or had previously expressed some willingness to serve). However, only about 250 young men ultimately reported to the recruitment offices, where they were assigned to supporting combat roles, the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, and Haredi units in the Paratroopers and Givati brigades.
Now, officials are assessing whether the IDF can meet its recruitment targets for Haredi men and what the best approach might be. The Chief of Staff believes that the next round of 5,000 draft orders should be issued without differentiating between various Haredi populations, including yeshiva students. However, the Minister of Defense is concerned that such an approach could be seen by the Haredi community as “crossing a line” and provoke a strong reaction, potentially resulting in even fewer recruits and widespread protests. Therefore, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant prefers a broader investigation into the reasons for the previous recruitment cycle’s failures, aiming to significantly improve the current one, focusing on a similar population.
There is no doubt that the issue of drafting yeshiva students is one of the most important and sensitive topics on the agenda. It requires a well-structured solution, even if the various parties do not get everything they want. The considerations involve social, religious, economic, and security factors and are deeply tied to the essence and future of the state. Hopefully, the decisions made will lead, even if slowly, toward the best solution for Israel’s future.
