The IDF on Wednesday told a Knesset panel that the military plans to send draft orders to 54,000 ultra-Orthodox men next month. The head of the IDF's Personnel Planning Chief spoke to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee's subcommittee on human resources.
"We are prepared to carry out a vigilant enforcement," Brig. Gen. Shai Tayeb said. "We are planning to pick up draft dodgers not only at the airport but anywhere. This will be in coordination with the military police and Israel Police, according to their priorities and to available space for detention."
The meeting was held hours before the Knesset may be called to vote to dissolve after the Haredi partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition threatened to bring down the government if any of their communities were forced to enlist. Last-minute efforts to reach a compromise were underway on Wednesday.
"The main change is that the responsibility will now be on the particular draft dodger and not his religious community affiliation or religious learning institution," Tayeb said.
In recordings of a conversation between Netanyahu and a leading rabbi for one of the Haredi parties, the prime minister attempted to show that his government would not pursue a massive draft of ultra-Orthodox men and that although call-ups were sent, there was no follow-up and they were not enforced. He also admitted to the rabbi that he had removed both Yoav Gallant as defense minister and Herzi Halevi as military chief of staff, to replace them with people who would support the coalition's position that Haredi men should be exempt from service in the IDF.
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Ousted IDF chief Herzi Halevi with ousted Defrense Minister Yoav Gallant in October 2024
(Photo: Ariel Hermoni)
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According to the law, all men of draft age must serve in the IDF unless legally exempt. Previous draft laws that allowed ultra-Orthodox men to avoid the draft have expired and the coalition crisis currently threatening Netanyahu's government is over legislation of a new law.
Since the October 7 massacre and the ensuing war, the IDF was in urgent need of soldiers to replace those killed or wounded and to meet the growing security needs.