Less than four percent of the 3,000 Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Israelis who received recruitment orders since July to join the military have done so, Israeli army radio reported on 28 October.
The head of the Israel Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman, criticized the Haredi community for its failure to participate in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and invasion of Lebanon.
Lieberman criticized the government for failing to enforce conscription orders, stressing that “the army is violating the law” and that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “must ensure that the law is applied to everyone.”
“The government has extended regular service by four months and reserve service by a year,” Lieberman told Yedioth Ahronoth, adding: “No more quotas, targets and exemptions – one people, one conscription,” stressing that “the whole story of quotas must end.”
Members of the Haredi community who are studying at Jewish religious schools are currently exempt under the law from army service. In practice, the exemption has extended even to Haredi men not actively engaged in religious study.
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox argue that by studying the Torah, its young men are doing a greater service to the state of Israel than by fighting.
The Haredi parties in Israel’s Knesset threaten to block the passage of regular laws, including the general budget, until the law exempting Haredim from military service is enacted.
The Haredi parties said that no law not related to war would be promoted until the conscription law was enacted and the budget for housing religious students was settled.
The Israeli media reported that Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir was siding with the Haredi Jews, saying: “Against coercion, for military service.”
Hellbound and Down 