IDF preparing to intensify clampdown on haredi draft dodgers

Yahoo

3 days ago

The IDF has sent out 80,000 draft orders to haredi men and is preparing for large-scale arrest operations nationwide, in coordination with the Israel Police.
The IDF is preparing to intensify measures against haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft dodgers, shortening the period after which draft dodgers can be arrested, N12 reported on Wednesday.
The IDF has sent out at least 54,000 draft orders to haredi men over the past month and is preparing for large-scale arrest operations nationwide, in coordination with the Israel Police.
The IDF's current criteria state that anyone who avoids the draft for more than 540 days will be sent to prison, while those who evade for a shorter period will undergo a prompt trial process before being drafted.
The military is ramping up the draft enforcement in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, when thousands of haredim are expected to travel to Uman, Ukraine, by creating a system to aid in arresting draft dodgers at Ben-Gurion Airport.
In September, the IDF will hold a partial amnesty period, allowing all draft dodgers to enlist without being arrested, in exchange for a full year of regular military service, along with other conditions, N12 reported. In these instances, the charge of draft dodging will be amended, and the draft dodger will be issued with a conditional sentence.
In total, the army has now issued approximately 78,000 summonses to haredi men between the ages of 17.5 and 28 during the 2024 draft year. The IDF clarified that this stage constitutes only the 'first order' — an initial call to appear at a recruitment office. Failure to respond triggers a second and third order, followed by a warning, and ultimately an arrest warrant.
This large-scale draft effort coincided with a high-level emergency conference of haredi rabbinic leaders, who declared total opposition to the draft. 'It is forbidden to go into a military framework under any circumstances,' read a joint statement. 'Every young man and woman must stand firm in their faith and not be tempted to go into the army.'
Head of United Torah Judaism's Degel HaTorah faction MK Moshe Gafni criticized Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara for her role in the new enforcement procedure.
"Baharav-Miara declared herself the main fighter against the world of Torah, its students, and the upholders of the Jewish people. We will not allow anyone to prevent a yeshiva student from studying Torah or to stop his learning. The Jewish people are educated by the trials of history, both near and far, where attempts to prevent Torah study were made, and their end is known," Gafni said.
Rabbi Meir Zvi Bergman, a senior figure in the Degel HaTorah faction of the United Torah Judaism party, warned that 'a haredi who enters the army does not leave it as a haredi' and called on students to resist, even at great personal cost.
Shas chairman Arye Deri also criticized Baharav-Miara, saying that her "draconian instructions...against Torah students in the Jewish state are a disgrace and a loss of mind. The use of extreme measures, akin to those used on criminals, against yeshiva students who uphold the Torah that sustains the world should shock every Jew who loves and respects the Torah. We will not allow anyone to interfere with a yeshiva student's devotion to his studies."
Deri also told yeshiva students not to worry about draft orders, that they should sit and study, and that there are others who are taking care of it, as shown in video footage shared by a journalist from Army Radio.
Israel will stop funding haredi yeshivot designated for draft dodgers
Israel will stop funding haredi yeshivot designated specifically for at-risk youth who do not draft to the IDF, a Supreme Court ruling handed down on Monday revealed.
The hearing was on a petition filed by NGO Israel Hofsheet against the funding itself. The petition came following a previous High Court of Justice ruling forbidding the state from funding yeshivot that didn't settle their status with the IDF.
The so-called 'dropout yeshivot' are the Noham institutions for disengaged haredi youth. Starting from the upcoming school year - in September, funding will be discontinued for students in these yeshivot who have not resolved their status with the military.
Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.
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