Israel to issue draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jews in days
Starting Sunday, members of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Haredi community will face the same conscription process as their secular counterparts. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced it will start issuing initial draft orders to members of the ultra-Orthodox Haredi community starting Sunday. Historically exempt from military service since the inception of the Jewish state, the Haredim became eligible for service recruitment following a recent court ruling.
The initial orders represent the beginning of a screening process for recruits projected for the following year, as detailed in a statement released by the IDF on Tuesday.
“The IDF works to recruit from all parts of society,” the statement emphasized, noting the call to serve is being extended to the ultra-Orthodox “in light of increased operational needs at this time, [and] in view of the security challenges” confronting the nation.
Israel is home to over a million Haredim, who are easily recognizable by the men’s traditional black attire and the women’s head coverings. The Haredim are religious fundamentalists who endeavor to minimize their interactions with Israel’s predominantly secular Jewish population.
In Israel, military service is mandatory for the majority of its citizens, requiring both men and women to serve between 24 and 32 months in the IDF, typically beginning at the age of 18. However, an agreement in 1948 between Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and Haredi leaders exempted community members from compulsory service, provided they were enrolled in religious institutions, or Yeshivas.
For the Haredim, joining Yeshivas became a means to avoid military service, arguing that military life would disrupt their Torah study, interfere with their extended prayer rituals, and expose them to the opposite sex. Moreover, some Haredim hold anti-Zionist beliefs, asserting that the state of Israel remains illegitimate until the arrival of the messiah.
This exemption has led to tensions between Orthodox and secular Jews, with the latter resenting that they bear the brunt of military service while also subsidizing the Yeshivas through taxes.
The 1948 agreement was renewed multiple times until it lapsed last year. Although it was slated for another extension, the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict revealed personnel shortages within the Israeli military, prompting the nation’s supreme court to reassess the longstanding arrangement. In late June, the court ruled the agreement unlawful, and earlier this month, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced plans to commence drafting eligible Haredim members.
According to the court, there are currently 63,000 draft-age Haredi males. Gallant mentioned last month that the IDF urgently needs an additional 10,000 recruits.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
The initial orders represent the beginning of a screening process for recruits projected for the following year, as detailed in a statement released by the IDF on Tuesday.
“The IDF works to recruit from all parts of society,” the statement emphasized, noting the call to serve is being extended to the ultra-Orthodox “in light of increased operational needs at this time, [and] in view of the security challenges” confronting the nation.
Israel is home to over a million Haredim, who are easily recognizable by the men’s traditional black attire and the women’s head coverings. The Haredim are religious fundamentalists who endeavor to minimize their interactions with Israel’s predominantly secular Jewish population.
In Israel, military service is mandatory for the majority of its citizens, requiring both men and women to serve between 24 and 32 months in the IDF, typically beginning at the age of 18. However, an agreement in 1948 between Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and Haredi leaders exempted community members from compulsory service, provided they were enrolled in religious institutions, or Yeshivas.
For the Haredim, joining Yeshivas became a means to avoid military service, arguing that military life would disrupt their Torah study, interfere with their extended prayer rituals, and expose them to the opposite sex. Moreover, some Haredim hold anti-Zionist beliefs, asserting that the state of Israel remains illegitimate until the arrival of the messiah.
This exemption has led to tensions between Orthodox and secular Jews, with the latter resenting that they bear the brunt of military service while also subsidizing the Yeshivas through taxes.
The 1948 agreement was renewed multiple times until it lapsed last year. Although it was slated for another extension, the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict revealed personnel shortages within the Israeli military, prompting the nation’s supreme court to reassess the longstanding arrangement. In late June, the court ruled the agreement unlawful, and earlier this month, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced plans to commence drafting eligible Haredim members.
According to the court, there are currently 63,000 draft-age Haredi males. Gallant mentioned last month that the IDF urgently needs an additional 10,000 recruits.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
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