Israel Prepares to Pass IDF Draft Bill for the Ultra-Orthodox, But Force 'Won't Work', Journo Says

According to some estimates, there are 50,000 Haredi youngsters eligible for military recruitment in Israel. But in 2019 the number of those actually enlisted was only 1,200.

In Israel, where most of the population is obliged to serve in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the Ultra-Orthodox community - that typically doesn't - has always drawn criticism and attempts to integrate its members have largely failed.

Despite that, the current coalition headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett insists on trying.

Three weeks ago the Knesset passed a bill that would increase the number of Ultra-Orthodox young men in the military.

Force Won't Work

To become a law the initiative would still need to go through two more readings, but Yanki Farber, a Haredi journalist who has been following the latest developments, suggests that the bill - if it does turn into legislation - will stir resistance.

"Every Orthodox mother is afraid that her child, who enrolls in the IDF, will come out not as religious. It happened in my family too, when I decided to enlist and people were shocked at the sight of me wearing a uniform", said the journalist.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews take part in a rally supporting the United Torah Judaism party in Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv

© REUTERS / Ronen Zvulun

"Forcing Haredis will not work, and if the IDF really wants these 50,000 boys, it will need to think how to integrate them into the service", he added.

Failed Integration

So far, that integration hasn't been easy, primarily because the IDF "didn't really need them" and "didn't want to cope with them", said Farber.

Over the years, Israel has poured millions of dollars into attempts to make it work. It has created special units for Haredi soldiers and provided them with services.

Yet, being a purely secular establishment, the IDF has struggled to cater to the needs of its Ultra-Orthodox soldiers, who demanded to pray three times a day, declined to work on the Sabbath (sacred for Jews), asked to maintain a kitchen that would adhere to strict Jewish rules, and rejected the possibility of mingling with women.

The result was that Haredis did not rush to enroll, while the IDF did not care to push them to enlist. In 2019, only 1,200 Ultra-Orthodox youngsters joined Israel's military. Previous years have also witnessed low recruitment levels, with 1,788 in 2018 and 1,374 in 2017.

"The IDF has already said that it won't be taking in the Haredis just to please politicians, so the latter need to leave this community alone", said Farber.

Politically Motivated

The catch is that Israeli politicians are determined not to let it slip. For a coalition that vowed to bring about change and work towards equality, the enrollment of those who have been skipping military service for years has become one of the government's top priorities. And the journalist is worried that the authorities will not hesitate to use force against those who oppose its policies.

"There is a chance that the government will condition investments in religious educational institutions on military service. But I can tell you, this trick will not work. The Haredis don't care about money that much anyways. People from the community will not sell their souls, and if they need to choose between a buck or a yeshiva [religious school - ed.], they will choose the latter", Farber stated.

Soldats israéliens

CC BY 2.0 / Israel Defense Forces / Brother's Keeper Operation in Judea & Samaria

The battle over the legislation is expected to be fierce. The opposition - which contains several religious parties - has already vowed to oppose it. But to get the initiative thrown out they will need to gather a majority of votes.

The race to collect those votes has already kicked off, but time is not on their side. The Knesset is expected to finish its winter session on 13 March and the coalition is pushing to end the drama by then.