Israeli Army drafts 54,000 Haredi youth
On Wednesday, the Israeli army announced it had intensified efforts against military draft evasion among ultra-Orthodox Jews, completing the distribution of approximately 80,000 enlistment orders.
This marks an escalation that has further deepened the ongoing controversy over military exemptions for Haredi youth.
According to Israeli media outlets, the army is preparing for large-scale arrests across the country in coordination with the police. Channel 12 reported that the army has recently issued an additional 54,000 initial draft notices to Haredi men. These come on top of 24,000 summonses already dispatched during the 2024 recruitment year.
The new wave of orders targets individuals between the ages of 17.5 and 28, who no longer qualify for exemption under the religious 'Torah study' clause, following the expiration of the previous law.
In response, the military has moved to shorten the timeframe for issuing arrest warrants against draft evaders.
Under army regulations, individuals who evade service for more than six weeks may face imprisonment of up to 540 days or be required to serve an additional year beyond their original military term.
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