Jerusalem: Official Israeli data presented on Wednesday highlighted the low response rate of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to military draft orders. Only 232 Haredi men complied with the 18,915 draft orders issued recently, emphasizing the longstanding reluctance to serve in the Israeli army, as reflected in a statement from the Knesset.
According to Anadolu Agency, Col. Avigdor Dickstein, who leads the Haredi branch in the Israeli army's Personnel Directorate, provided these statistics during a session with the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee. Out of the total draft orders, 1,840 were ignored, 962 men were labeled as draft dodgers, and 68 received exemptions for unspecified reasons.
Dickstein noted that the army aims to recruit 4,800 Haredi soldiers by 2024 and 2025 but has only managed to enlist 1,721 so far. He emphasized that this number does not fulfill the army's operational requirements, as per the Knesset statement.
The Haredi community, constituting about 13% of Israel's 10 million population, continues to resist conscription. This follows a Supreme Court ruling on June 25, 2024, which mandated their enlistment and cut funding for yeshivas whose students refuse military service.
Senior rabbis, who hold significant influence over Haredim, have advised their followers to disregard draft orders, with some even advocating for the physical destruction of summons. Haredim maintain that their commitment to Torah study is paramount and fear that military service could jeopardize their religious identity.
Historically, Haredi men have avoided conscription at age 18 through deferments linked to yeshiva attendance, remaining exempt until age 26. The opposition has criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of attempting to reestablish Haredi exemptions to placate coalition partners Shas and United Torah Judaism, potentially risking governmental stability.
This widespread avoidance of military service coincides with the Israeli army's renewed operations in Gaza, which resumed on March 18, breaking a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement from January 19. Since October 2023, Israeli actions have resulted in the deaths of over 51,300 Palestinians in Gaza, predominantly women and children.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice related to its actions in the region.