The IDF will send draft notices to thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews on Sunday after the Supreme Court ruled last month that the state is obligated to draft yeshiva students in the absence of a distinction between those who are meant for service and those who are not. The ultra-Orthodox movements who oppose conscription plan to stage a major protest on Tuesday on one of Israel's major highway, Route 4 near Bnei Brak.
The army decided to issue the notices after concluding it cannot reach the necessary numbers solely by relying on voluntary enlistment. The plan was based on significant data analysis to reach those who want to enlist and those who do not study Torah.
On Tuesday, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and the Magen Forum appealed to the Supreme Court demanding the Defense Ministry and the IDF to immediately draft all 63,000 yeshiva students eligible for conscription under Israel's Security Service Law. According to them, the petition was filed following the IDF's disregard of the court's ruling, which stated that there is no legal basis for exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscription and that the defense establishment must act in accordance with the Security Service Law.
On Monday, dozens of extremist ultra-Orthodox Jews attacked senior IDF officers who entered Bnei Brak to meet with local leaders to discuss accommodating haredim in the IDF. Protesters from the Jerusalem Faction threw objects at the officers – Major General David Zini, training command commander, and Brigadier General Shai Taieb, head of the Manpower Directorate Planning and Administration Division - and both were lightly injured. Extremist ultra-Orthodox Jews are planning for Tuesday night a major protest in Bnei Brak against conscription, possibly at the Geha Junction, and Highway 4 is expected to be congested.
The attack on senior IDF officers
The officers met with local leaders to find yeshivas with high dropout rates who would "allow" them to draft. The IDF is currently working to persuade rabbis and yeshiva directors to comply with the Draft Bill and to send between dozens and hundreds of their students, especially those who are absent from their studies, hoping to draft at least 3,000 ultra-Orthodox.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims he has discussed the Draft Bill with the ultra-Orthodox parties and has reached agreements. Netanyahu claims he will have a majority for the bill, despite Gallant's opposition. Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, criticized Netanyahu in his X account: "There is only one place where the conscription law is discussed, and that is in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. We start working on the wording of the clauses on Wednesday, and everyone is invited, all citizens and the prime minister."
On Tuesday, the Finance Ministry warned that the IDF may enlist the working Ultra-Orthodox population which would interfere with their livelihood. To avoid confrontation with the yeshivas, the IDF has decided to examine paychecks to facilitate the process.
"I am troubled by the IDF's method, which links between social security employment data and the targeted population," a Finance Ministry official said. "This could mark those who work as potential recruits. This will harm conscription and harm employment."