Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews to receive draft notices in days

The IDF wants to plug its manpower gaps with members of the country’s most insular Jewish community

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it will begin sending initial draft orders to members of the country’s ultra-Orthodox Haredi community on Sunday. Exempt from military service since the foundation of the Jewish state, the Haredim were cleared for service recruitment by a court ruling last month.

The orders are the first step in a screening process for next year’s recruits, the IDF explained in a statement on Tuesday.

“The IDF works to recruit from all parts of society,” the statement read, adding that the ultra-Orthodox were being called to serve “in light of increased operational needs at this time, [and] in view of the security challenges” facing the country.

Israel is home to more than a million Haredim. Known for their men’s distinctive black dress and their women’s head coverings, the Haredim are religious fundamentalists who strive to limit their contact with Israel’s more secular Jewish majority.

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Military service is obligatory for most citizens of Israel, with men and women alike required to serve between 24 and 32 months in the IDF, usually from the age of 18 onwards. However, under a 1948 agreement between Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and Haredi leaders, members of this community were exempt from compulsory service if they were enrolled in religious schools, or Yeshivas.

Joining Yeshivas became a ticket out of military service for the Haredim, who argue that military life would interrupt their study of the Torah, disrupt their lengthy prayer times, and place them in contact with the opposite sex. Additionally, some Haredim are anti-Zionist, and claim that the state of Israel will remain illegitimate until the coming of the messiah.

This exemption has caused friction between Orthodox and secular Jews, with the latter angry that they have to shoulder the burden of military service while also funding the Yeshivas with their taxes.

The 1948 agreement was extended several times until it expired last year. While it was set to be extended once more, the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war exposed personnel shortages in the Israeli military and prompted the country’s supreme court to reexamine the 76-year status quo. In late June, the court ruled that the agreement was unlawful and, earlier this month, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced plans to begin drafting eligible members of the Haredim.

According to the court, there are currently 63,000 draft-age Haredi males. Gallant said last month that the IDF urgently needs 10,000 additional recruits.