Education Minister Yoav Kisch on Tuesday rolled out a new government program designed to recruit 3,000 haredim (ultra-Orthodox) for new hesder yeshivot (a program combining Jewish studies with military service) by 2030.

Currently, Kisch said that there are 10 government-approved institutions for haredim that mix Jewish studies with military service and provide additional religious support for maintaining a haredi lifestyle to around 800 haredi soldiers.

His goal is to invest NIS 57.5 million to establish another 15 such institutions, reaching 25 total, in order to enlist another 2,200 haredim, reaching 3,000 total.

According to Kisch, around 25% of the haredi hesder soldiers are expected to become combat fighters or combat support soldiers, a percentage not far below that of combat soldiers from the broader population. Further, he said that around NIS 10 million would be invested in the program in 2025, with NIS three million of those funds specifically allotted to growing the program further.

In future years, the budget for the program is expected to grow to NIS 12 million per year, leading into the year 2030.

Kisch said that this program was an excellent example of how haredim could be integrated into the IDF cooperatively and with dialogue, seriously taking into account their needs to remain within a haredi lifestyle. In contrast, he put down efforts by others either within the coalition, the opposition, the legal community, or the defense establishment itself who might be trying to compel haredim to join the IDF with threats.

ORTHODOX SOLDIERS participate in an IDF swearing-in ceremony in Jerusalem. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
ORTHODOX SOLDIERS participate in an IDF swearing-in ceremony in Jerusalem. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Program pales in comparison to Israeli defense needs

Despite Kisch’s statements and while the program in question may prove successful, at 3,000 hesder soldiers, the program still pales in comparison to the need to immediately recruit another 7,000-10,000 soldiers beyond what the existing population is expected to provide.

Further, far over 10,000 haredim tend to be eligible per year, meaning that at best, the program would only cover 30% of the population, and many more haredim would need to join to reach the 50% modest goal set by Defense Minister Israel Katz.

In addition, several such programs already exist or were announced earlier in 2025 but have seen little enrollment by haredim.

Critics of the positive incentives-only approach say that while the IDF must provide special working conditions for haredim, only a mix of negative incentives, such as fines, will lead to the haredi community sharing a more equal burden of military service with the other sectors of Israel’s population.

Prior to the war, around 70% of Israelis served in the IDF from the broader population. The percentage has risen since then, though it is unclear if this is a temporary boost.

Until the war, most sectors of Israeli society were critical of haredim for not serving in the IDF. Since over 800 soldiers have been killed during the war and a further 16,000 have been wounded, this criticism has hardened into a determination to radically change the status quo of most haredim getting exemptions.