Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was dismissed a week ago, but the conscription orders he planned to issue to thousands of Haredim will go on as planned, the IDF maintains. The military announced on Tuesday that, starting from Sunday, an additional 7,000 draft notices will be sent to ultra-Orthodox Jews. "We are continuing with this process as planned. The Haredi recruitment administration is not shutting down, and all recruitment initiatives for the Haredim are under review," according to the IDF.
The IDF emphasized that the issuance of these orders has already received approval and complies with legal standard. "We have not received any other directive," according to the military.
Last week, soon after the announcement regarding Haredi conscription, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and appointed Israel Katz as his successor.
Among the 3,000 orders issued in the initial phase, only 240 young Haredi men reported to recruitment offices. Approximately 800 received warnings of impending arrest for failing to attend the initial draft process, despite multiple notifications. The 3,000 notices were sent out in three waves, each consisting of 1,000 orders: 50% targeted those age 18-21, 40% targeted the 22-23 age group, and 10% were aimed at those age 24-25. Some 15% of these are married. Of those notified, less than a tenth, or around 240, have responded, with some having already completed the enlistment process.
The IDF currently estimates a deficit of approximately 10,000 active-duty soldiers needed to meet force-building requirements. This shortfall implies a need for personnel who can both strengthen existing forces and participate in future strategic plans. The scale of forces allocated to combat sectors is expected to be significantly larger than it was before October 7, 2023, necessitating substantial manpower.
Meanwhile, Haredi political parties are advocating for any draft exemption law passed with their consent to annul previously issued conscription orders to young Haredim, sent without their coordination. They also plan to seek clemency for those who have faced sanctions or threats of arrest.
Haredim protesting draft orders
(Video: i24News)
Within extreme Haredi factions, protests are intensifying against efforts to expand the draft. Recently, a "Black Flag" center was established, disseminating voice messages via kosher phones with updates on the arrival of draft enforcers in Haredi communities, and preparations for protests against them. Plans for mass rallies in support of halting the continued dispatch of draft notices are underway.
A senior figure within the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party criticized the situation. "The sending of orders by the army is directly attributed to the Likud Party and its leader. They had the opportunity to prevent the move but chose to ignore it. Moreover, Likud did not pass the draft law they committed to, opposed the day care law aimed at helping poor families, and now they are even deliberately acting against yeshiva students. All these prove that the promises made to the Haredi public remain unfulfilled."
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