IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that the military must significantly expand its ranks to confront growing security threats, as lawmakers continue efforts to advance legislation that would exempt many ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory service.
“To operate in a multi-front campaign, we will be required to significantly increase the ranks of IDF combat soldiers, both men and women, in order to build a strong military sized appropriately for the threats and capable of decisive victory,” Zamir said.
He added that the past two years had demonstrated that the reserve forces were the backbone of the war effort across multiple arenas. “Our duty is to expand the scope of regular forces to give reservists breathing room and allow them to return to normal life,” he said.
The remarks come as coalition lawmakers push forward a bill that would formalize exemptions for many ultra-Orthodox men, a longstanding source of political and social tension.
Ultra-Orthodox protest groups have stepped up opposition to enforcement measures against draft evaders. Activists affiliated with an extremist faction have established a hotline known as “Black Color” to mobilize demonstrators when authorities attempt to detain individuals who fail to report for service.
Flyers posted overnight in Bnei Brak expressed solidarity with what organizers called “yeshiva students kidnapped to military prison” and included a phone number for real-time alerts about arrests. Organizers say that when police arrive to detain someone, supporters are dispatched to the scene to protest.
At the same time, a separate protest group advocating equal service obligations, called “Shoulder to Shoulder,” announced plans to escalate its campaign ahead of a potential vote on the draft exemption bill. The group said it will organize a convoy of vehicles along the coastal Highway 2 on Friday in an effort to disrupt traffic and draw attention to what it calls unequal burden-sharing.
“If there is no equality, there will be no routine,” said Yonatan Shalev, the group’s founder and a reservist in the Maglan unit.
Meanwhile, the IDF’s ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade completed its first battalion-level exercise this week in the Golan Heights. The “Yonatan” Battalion finalized its operational certification ahead of deployment.
Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, head of the Ground Forces, told the soldiers that it is possible to remain ultra-Orthodox while serving as combat troops. “You are making history,” he said, praising the brigade for maintaining its religious identity while meeting operational standards.