Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men march in protest of the Israeli army mandatory draft. August 13, 2019 (Photo by Flash90).
Israel’s new defense minister, Israel Katz, officially confirmed on Friday morning that the 7,000 conscription orders for ultra-Orthodox men, which were ordered by his predecessor Yoav Gallant, will be sent out starting Sunday .
The move drew sharp criticism from the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties while garnering rare praise from opposition leaders.
In an official announcement, the Ministry of Defense stated, “The Defense Minister clarified he intends to hold an in-depth dialogue with all the parties in order to try and promote an agreed-upon solution, allowing for a true integration of the ultra-Orthodox in the IDF to ease the burden on the regular, career and reserve soldiers who fight valiantly and give their lives for Israel’s security.”
This, the statement continued, should happen while “preserving the world of the Torah, which is so important to our identity as a people and as a country. The defense minister clarified that the IDF will do everything to grant the ultra-Orthodox a supportive envelope that will ensure their ability to fulfill their tasks in the IDF, alongside maintaining their religious lifestyle.”
The announcement was met with severe responses and threats by ultra-Orthodox representatives to ‘blow up’ the government.
“It turns out that it’s not the attorney-general or Gallant – it’s the Likud that decided to declare war on the ultra-Orthodox,” a senior member of the United Torah Judaism party told Ynet News.
Another senior party official said, “Likud is leading us to elections by force. If the Likud wants elections in a few months and then a government without the Likud – that’s what it will be.”
The ultra-Orthodox parties were reportedly taken aback by Katz’ announcement, after expecting that the High Court would either cancel or postpone the draft orders.
Meanwhile, the decision drew rare praise from opposition leaders. Yesh Atid party chairman Yair Lapid wrote on 𝕏: “Minister Katz, I said in the Knesset that if you send the 7,000 orders to the ultra-Orthodox, then the fighters and reservists will know that you are there for them. You did it without flinching. Respect.”
“I call on Defense Minister Katz and Chief of Staff Halevi to send all the recruitment orders and not stop halfway,” urged Benny Gantz, chairman of the National Unity party.
“Everyone who has to be drafted must receive an order. We are at war. This is first of all your legal duty, but more importantly – your moral duty.”
Most of the new draft orders will be sent out without distinction of whether a recipient is working or studying in a religious school (yeshiva), according to Israeli media. This is sure to further incense Haredi parties who have particularly rejected the draft of yeshiva students.
According to Army Radio, the Israeli attorney general directed that most of the orders be issued without distinctions, concluding that differentiating between students and workers would unfairly “punish” the few ultra-Orthodox individuals who are employed.
Over the past summer, 3,000 draft notices were issued , most of them to men who were not working, in an attempt to increase the success rate of the draft response.
The IDF reported that 50% of the recipients initially expressed openness to joining the military. However, many later reversed their decisions due to intense pressure from their religious communities, including incidents where groups physically blocked draft centers to prevent draftees from entering IDF bases.
The first 1,000 draft orders are expected to be sent out on Sunday, with 6,000 more to follow in the coming months.