The IDF announced Tuesday night that this Sunday the military will start issuing initial summons notices for candidates for security service from the haredi Orthodox community.
“On Sunday, July 21st, 2024, the process of issuing initial summons orders for the first call-up and for the assessment and evaluation procedures ahead of the upcoming recruitment cycle, which began in July, will commence,” the IDF said in a statement.
The summons orders come in response to a court decision mandating military draft for haredi men.
Leaders of both the Hassidic and Lithuanian strains of Judaism in the haredi sector have called on their communities to defy the draft orders.
Leader of Lithuanian Haredim: Do Not Report to Draft Centers
There are, however, some sectors that do respond to the draft notices, including men from Chabad. There are a significant number of haredi men already serving in the IDF in special units designed to address the religious issues that come up for observant soldiers from the haredi sector.
The IDF framed the move as “part of the IDF’s program to promote the integration of members of the ultra-Orthodox community into its ranks.”
The statement added that the military is “working to recruit from all parts of society in light of the conscription requirement in Israel, due to its status as the people’s army and in view of the increased operational needs at this time, given the security challenges.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the Knesset plenum last week that 3,000 haredi soldiers will be drafted to the military by next summer.
“Our goal is to draft all those who can be recruited by law,” Gallant said. “This is how we work. Ultimately, the process will be gradual — it has not been done for 76 years,” he pointed out.
