Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews will receive draft notices in the coming days. Learn about the implications and community reactions.
The Israeli Defense Force intends to fill its staffing shortages by recruiting individuals from the nation’s most isolated community.
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will initiate draft orders to members of the Haredi community, who were previously exempt from military service since the establishment of Israel. However, a court ruling last month has now allowed for their recruitment into service.
On Tuesday, the IDF clarified that the orders serve as an initial measure in evaluating potential recruits for next year.
According to the statement, “The IDF strives to enlist individuals from all sectors of society.” Additionally, it stated that there has been a recent increase in operational demands and security risks facing Israel, which is why the ultra-Orthodox community is also being encouraged to serve.
More than a million Haredim reside in Israel, identified by their men’s distinctive black attire and women’s head coverings. These religious fundamentalists aim to restrict their interactions with the country’s primarily secular Jewish populace.
In Israel, the majority of citizens are required to perform mandatory military service for a period ranging from 24-32 months in IDF. This requirement applies equally to men and women who typically enlist upon reaching age 18 or older. Nevertheless, an agreement reached by David Ben-Gurion -Israel’s first Prime Minister- with Haredi leaders back in 1948 excluded members of this community from compulsory national service provided that they attend Yeshivas (religious schools).
The Haredim viewed enrolling in Yeshivas as a means to evade military service since they believed that it would impede their Torah studies, disturb their prolonged prayer sessions, and subject them to interactions with individuals of the opposite gender. Moreover, certain factions among the Haredim opposed Zionism and asserted that Israel’s legitimacy could only be established once Messiah arrived.
The exemption has resulted in tension between Orthodox and secular Jews, as the latter are infuriated with having to fulfill military obligations while simultaneously financing Yeshivas through their taxes.
The 1948 agreement underwent several extensions until it lapsed in the previous year. The imminent extension got reevaluated by Israel’s supreme court, following personnel deficiency within its military caused by the escalation of Israel-Hamas hostilities. In June-end, the court effectively nullified and declared illegal this long-standing status quo lasting for almost 76 years; consequently, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced his proposal to recruit qualified members of Haredim into their ranks sometime earlier this month.
The court has revealed that at present, there are 63,000 Haredi males who qualify for draft. Acknowledging this fact and the pressing need to increase recruitment by 10,000 soldiers in a month ago statement,Gallant stressed on the IDF’s immediate requirement of additional recruits.
