The IDF on Monday broke down to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee its schedule for summoning 14,000 more haredim over the next two months, but predicted that it will see a shortfall of 1,800 below the set goal of 4,800 for 2025.
According to the IDF, it will issue summons for 5,000 haredim on March 13, another 5,000 on April 6, and another 4,000 on May 4.
Prior to the current crisis and push to recruit more haredim, there were around 1,800 joining the military per year out of around 10,000-12,000 eligible men of age per year from the community.
Following the October 7 invasion by Hamas and the extended war that has been its aftermath, as well as rulings by the High Court of Justice in mid-2024, the IDF said it would try to raise the number of haredi recruits per year for 2025 to 4,800, an additional 3,000.
However, IDF representatives on Monday said that at the current rate, the best result they can hope for is around 3,000, or a 1,800 shortfall.
This is all according to a gradual approach to integrating haredim over a period of years.
However, on January 28, then IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi told the FADC in closed session that the IDF could draft the full cohort of haredim in around two years if the government directed it to.
He said this even as Defense Minister Israel Katz's bill shoots for closer to a 30-40% draft number two years from now, reaching 50% in seven years.
Katz’s numbers are also below what his predecessor, Yoav Gallant, sought but might be more palatable to portions of the current coalition.
In the broader trends, FADC Chairman Yuli Edelstein is trying to increase haredi enlistment by committing to some more serious sanctions for those who do not show up for their military summons.
Sanctions on Yeshiva students
In contrast, Katz’s bill focused on sanctioning institutions if their yeshiva students did not meet a collective quota per year.
The High Court froze hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for yeshivas in April 2024 and hundreds of millions more for daycare for haredim who do not serve in the IDF at the start of this month.
Some haredi politicians have threatened to leave the government if a new exemption from the draft bill is not passed, while others have decided to remain in the coalition, believing that if the country goes to elections, any alternative government would pressure them even harder to serve in the IDF in larger numbers.
Prior to October 7, the debate in Israel was mostly between getting haredim to do national service versus being exempt. But after around 800 soldiers have died in the war and more than 13,500 were wounded already by January of this year, the country, including some more elements of the coalition, has pushed harder for greater haredi enlistment.
To date, despite over 10,000 summons being sent out to haredim in the second half of 2024, only 177 from the sector have started their military service who might otherwise not have.
One new option for service, which the IDF has already added for haredim to make service more attractive, is serving in technical and logistical capacities at a Hardened Aircraft Shelter at an air force base section where only men will serve.
Another new option is the Yoav Track within the Logistics Command, which can mean fulfilling a wide variety of technical and logistics roles throughout the military, and not just in the air force.
Also, the IDF has opened a new haredi fighting brigade, distinct from Netzach Yehuda, which had been the target brigade for haredim to date, but already has turned off many of the ultra-orthodox because it has a reputation for being more religious Zionist than Haredi.
Additionally, there is a new unit of Haredim serving at the Camp Ofer Prison, and that program is expected to grow.
There is a new lieutenant colonel with a Hasidic Chabad background who is focused on haredi affairs and making sure new inductees are comfortable and are having their needs addressed.