The Israeli army issued recruitment notices today, Sunday, for a thousand members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community known as "Haredim," in a move aimed at increasing its forces, but which may heighten tensions between religious and secular Israelis. Last month, the Supreme Court ordered the Ministry of Defense to terminate the exemption for students of Jewish religious institutions from military service. This arrangement has been in place since the founding of Israel in 1948 when the number of Haredim was small. The two religious parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government opposed this new policy shift, which has put significant pressure on the right-wing coalition amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Haredi community has seen rapid growth in its numbers. Haredi leaders argue that forcing religious students to serve alongside secular Israelis, including women, threatens their religious identity. Some rabbis have urged the community members to burn any recruitment orders they receive. Not all Haredim refuse to serve; the Israeli army has established several units specifically for them.
On this Sunday, some Haredim who did not request an exemption responded to the recruitment orders, expressing hope for a compromise. Nitzach Cohen, 19, stated before entering the recruitment base: "If you want to recruit the Haredim, first learn what you need to do to make that happen. Do not implement this by force." Others, particularly the more religiously stringent Haredim, asserted that they would never agree to serve in the army. David Mizrahi, a 22-year-old theological student from Jerusalem, remarked, "Those who do not understand the value of studying cannot comprehend the reason behind the Haredim's refusal to enlist." He added that enforcing recruitment escalates the dispute.
Following the first group of summonses, additional notices are expected to be sent to around 3,000 Haredim in the coming weeks. The government is still working to pass a recruitment law that would include some limited concessions to resolve this issue before it threatens the stability of the coalition. Pressure to recruit Haredim has sharply increased from the army and secular Israelis to distribute the burden of military service in Israel, especially as fighting in Gaza has continued for more than nine months and the threat of war with Hezbollah in Lebanon looms.
Israeli law requires individuals aged 18 and over to serve in the army for a period of 24 to 32 months. The majority of Israel's Arab citizens, who represent 21 percent of the population, receive exemptions from military service.
