DM Gallant approves 7,000 new draft orders for Haredi men after first recruitment campaign failed

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the issuance of 7,000 additional draft orders to young ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men starting next week after the first phase of the recruitment drive failed.

In July, the IDF sent out the first 3,000 draft orders to men between the ages of 18 and 26, after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara ordered the army to do so following the High Court’s landmark ruling that canceled existing draft exemptions.

Following violent demonstrations and political turmoil over the summer, only 230 ultra-Orthodox men showed up at IDF induction centers.

Starting next week, another 7,000 draft orders will be sent out, however, it’s not clear whether the IDF has plans to increase the percentage of men who actually show up for recruitment.

The decision was taken during a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and other top brass, including Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram, the chief of the Personnel Directorate, Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor, and the Military Advocate General, Maj.-Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, where Gallant was presented with the first data and lessons from the first phase of Haredi recruitment.

While the military said that men who dodge several draft orders will be prevented from leaving the country and are liable to be arrested by the Military Police, the Times of Israel noted that there were no reports of such arrests so far.

“The increase in the number of orders is intended to meet the goal set for recruitment,” Channel 12 News cited Gallant saying.

“The war and the challenges facing us illustrate the IDF's need for more soldiers. This is a real operational need that requires a broad national mobilization from all parts of society,” the defense minister added.

According to the IDF, the 3,000 men selected for the first recruitment phase were chosen based on indicators that they were not engaged in full-time studies at a yeshiva, a religious studies school.

The military has also said it needs around 10,000 new soldiers, mainly combat fighters, to adequately meet the many new challenges of the coming years.

However, the IDF noted it can only deal with an additional 3,000 ultra-Orthodox recruits this year due to the special needs of this religiously observant population.

During the high-level meeting, Gallant also reviewed the latest updates about the new Haredi Brigade, to be called the “Hashmonaim” (Maccabee) Brigade, which is set to receive its first recruits this December.

So far, the unit’s command staff has been recruited and its infrastructure has been built.

The new brigade is part of the IDF’s new drive to create units specifically designed to meet Haredi needs, like the Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the Kfir Brigade, the Tomer Company in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion, the Hetz Company in the Paratroopers’ 202nd Battalion, and the Nevatim Airbase’s ground defense unit.

This past year, only around 1,800 Haredi men were recruited, out of 63,000 listed as eligible for military service.