Israel’s Defense Ministry will conclude staff work on a plan to draft ultra-Orthodox (haredi) citizens into the IDF within a “number of weeks,” officials from Israel’s State Attorney’s Office wrote in a deposition to the High Court of Justice on Wednesday.
According to the deposition, which was filed as part of an ongoing high-stakes legal battle over haredi exemption from IDF service, the defense minister has also chaired meetings aimed at passing a law “with broad agreement” to regulate the matter.
The legal basis for the state’s inaction to enlist haredim into the IDF expired at the end of March. On March 28, the High Court of Justice handed down temporary orders to end the blanket haredi exemption and cease state funding to yeshivot for students whose abstention from military service was no longer valid. The court will hear arguments on whether to make these orders permanent on June 2.
The issue has broad political and social implications. Haredi men have largely avoided military service since Israel’s foundation in 1948, and its political representatives, who are currently members of the government and coalition, have threatened to leave the government if the issue is not resolved to their satisfaction. While the majority of haredi politicians have insisted that the exemption continue, some have agreed to discuss drafting military-age men who do not study in yeshivot.
The issue also could directly influence Israel’s current war against Hamas. The defense ministry announced its plan to increase mandatory and reserve military duties in order to compensate for the war’s casualties and meet heightened security demands in January. A broad haredi draft could relieve some of this burden.
Immediate and long-term implementation
According to the deposition, the plan will be implemented “gradually” and will include provisions to draft haredi men within an “immediate time frame” as well as provisions that will “affect recruitment in the longer term.” The state asked to present the plan’s details when the staff work ends, before the June 2 hearing.
Although the deposition was approved by the defense minister, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of the haredi parties did not comment on it publicly.
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