Only 7% of Haredim responded to military conscription calls: Katz

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
16 Feb 2025 23:53

The issue of drafting the Haredim community into the military persists, with ongoing abstention and aversion to military service.

Listen

Haredi Jews step on the Israeli flag to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in front of his hotel during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Friday, September 27, 2024. (AP)

Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz said that only 7% of Haredi Jews responded to conscription calls, including those sent to the Chabad, adding that the conscription law must pass before the budget does.

Katz stressed that the current situation "does not indicate any actual response to the conscription orders." He previously announced plans for the gradual enlistment of 7,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military.

In December, Katz presented the draft law to the parliament's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, outlining a strategy to integrate ultra-Orthodox men into the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).

"The plan is to draft about 50% of the Orthodox men," Katz said, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan.

The law will impose sanctions on yeshivas [religious schools] whose students fail to enlist and on individuals who ignore enlistment notices or fail to report to military registration.

The issue of Haredi enlistment has long been a sensitive topic in "Israel". The Haredi community, which accounts for approximately 13% of "Israel's" population, traditionally avoids conscription, dedicating their lives to Torah study.

In June 2023, "Israel's" Supreme Court ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jews must be subject to conscription like other Israeli citizens, intensifying tensions. Following this decision, the regime began issuing draft orders to Haredi men aged 18–26.

Initial reports indicated significant resistance, with many individuals not responding to the draft notices.

The occupation's failed attempts at enlistment

Over the years, the Israeli military has made various efforts in an attempt to recruit ultra-Orthodox individuals.

These initiatives include establishing special units with support infrastructure for religious soldiers and launching campaigns attracting men under the guise that military service would aid in career building.

These efforts ultimately failed, with experts reporting that less than 2,000 soldiers in the IOF come from an ultra-Orthodox background, many of whom became less religious.

The occupation's offensive fronts have resulted in the military altering its recruitment approach to significantly increase the number of Haredim soldiers by doubling their efforts and becoming more inclined to invest in lifestyle accommodation.

"We got to the point that the IDF needs them and wants them," a security official involved with Haredi recruiting said, highlighting that since October 7, the IOF introduced two Haredi enlistment programs that boosted the interests of youths.

It remains unclear how the IOF and Haredi youth will address the widespread drafting evasion. Essentially, the Israeli military generally issues around three notices before initiating legal procedures that, if the individual is deemed a deserter, could result in arrest or blocking him from leaving "Israel."