60% of Ultra-Orthodox Men Willing To Join Army, but Leadership Out of Sync, Expert Says

The Haredi community in Israel is facing a transformative moment, reflecting a growing willingness for change despite resistance from its leaders

In a landmark decision, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) seminary students must be drafted into the army, ending a long-standing exemption. This exemption has been a contentious issue in Israeli society. However, neither the government nor the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have devised a way to draft the ultra-Orthodox men. This ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for the country’s political landscape, including the possibility of ending Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government.

The Supreme Court’s decision marks a significant shift. For decades, ultra-Orthodox men have been able to defer their military service indefinitely while studying in religious seminaries, a policy that has been a point of contention in Israeli society.

Over 60% of Haredi men surveyed expressed willingness to serve in the military reserves

Dr. Eitan Regev, deputy CEO and director of research at the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs, explained to The Media Line that there is a gap between the Haredi leadership and the people they represent. “Over 60% of Haredi men surveyed expressed willingness to serve in the military reserves. This reflects an understanding within the Haredi community that Israel’s security needs have changed and expanded, especially post-October 7.”

Proponents of the draft argue that it promotes equality and shared national responsibility, while Haredi leaders in the Knesset claim it infringes on religious freedom and disrupts the traditional lifestyle of the Haredi community.

The ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court comes a few weeks after the Knesset began debating a bill to legislate the drafting of Haredi men. However, the bill in its current form is criticized by both secular and religious Knesset members.

Dr. Regev explained that the Haredi draft issue began 45 years ago when Israel conditioned military exemption on not working. Given the age limit for joining the army, many Haredi men remained unproductive until reaching this limit, leading to increased poverty within the community. The last bill, rejected by the Supreme Court, aimed to raise this age limit to prevent Haredi men from entering the army. However, this would have worsened the situation, causing men to remain unproductive for even longer.

This creates a multigenerational poverty trap

“This creates a multigenerational poverty trap,” Regev explained. “Expecting to enter the labor market later in life and only finding low-paying jobs, many prefer to continue studying in a yeshiva. Eventually, they must start working and end up in even lower-paying jobs. The 55% of Haredi men who work are mostly in jobs with low human capital.”

For many in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), military service provides an opportunity to learn technical skills for the future. It is hoped the IDF can adapt to equip Haredi soldiers with skills to improve their economic situation.

“A feasible solution is to draft Haredi men in larger numbers but for a shorter period—about a year and a half—rather than the regular three-year service,” Regev said. “This duration is sufficient for proper training and acceptable to the Haredi community. Combined with Haredi-specific brigades, this approach allows them to maintain their lifestyle. The shorter service period enables them to join the workforce at a younger age, addressing many economic issues. It also incentivizes them to pursue formal studies and gain work experience earlier, improving their situation in the labor market.”

Dr. Shuki Friedman, vice president of the Jewish People’s Policy Institute and a senior law lecturer at the Peres Academic Center, spoke to The Media Line about the political consequences of Israel’s Supreme Court declaring the Haredi military exemption illegal.

“We witnessed a very dramatic point in Israeli history, where the [Supreme] Court actually ruled for the first time to directly recruit the ultra-Orthodox to the army,” said Dr. Friedman. “In the [last] 22 years, there have been three efforts to legislate on the issue in the Knesset. But over the years, they actually revised this legislation.”

“Since 2017, the court waited for the government to legislate a new compromise law to recruit the ultra-Orthodox, and the government failed to do it. A year ago, the last date that the court gave to the government passed, and then another year took until the government actually used some minor legal pitch to extend the term, but a month ago, this expired,” Dr. Friedman explained.

“The court demands two things: First, it orders the government to enforce the law and recruit them to the army; secondly, and not less important, to cut budgets for all the institutions where these students are learning,” he detailed.

“It’s a precedent for Israeli politics, society, and the army because up until now, there has always been some legal base not to call them into the army. The question is, what will happen next? Where is the army going? Where is the government going? Will it collapse or not? Will it be able to legislate any new law? There are now 66,000 ultra-Orthodox sitting in yeshivas between the ages of 18 to 26,” he added.

“Every year, there are 13,000 ultra-Orthodox that should go to the army. These numbers are tremendous. Now, we are to remember the court’s actual statement in its decision that we’re not talking only about the question of equality. Over the years, the discussion was about equality: It’s not fair as the majority of Israelis serve, and the ultra-Orthodox are exempt from the service. Because of October 7 and the war, there is a need for many more soldiers; now the government has to find a way to implement the court’s decision,” Dr. Friedman pointed out.

Considering the situation, the Israeli government faces the potential for a political crisis that could lead to its collapse. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response strategy is clear: He plans to buy time, according to Dr. Friedman. Aware that he currently lacks the majority needed to approve a contentious law, Netanyahu is maneuvering to delay proceedings in hopes of securing the necessary support.

Yitzik Crombie, a Haredi activist and high-tech entrepreneur, spoke to The Media Line about how the Haredi community sees this matter.

“It’s a tough day for the Haredi community. Until October 7, I wasn’t part of the discussion or the situation with the army regarding the draft. It was a bigger issue, but after October 7, I realized that there is no way we can keep the same situation in Israel based on the social crisis that we are in,” Crombie revealed.

“The army really needs more soldiers, and I think it’s a security issue, so it’s not just a social issue but a real security issue,” he said. “If you take a look at the Haredi community, we are 12% of the population. Almost 1.3 million Haredi, with around 60% of the community being under 18. A community that grows 4% a year, and 55% of the men are workers. They are part of the workforce; they’re working. They’re going to vocational or academic training, but in their free time, they study Torah,” explained the activist who has worked extensively to place Haredi men in good jobs.

“Especially the young Haredim in the community want to be a part; they want to be part of the army, of the society, of the academic system, but the Haredi community is afraid as well. The Haredi community is afraid to lose this special identity, special culture, and way of life because in thousands of years of Jewish life, the groups that assimilate disappear over time,” Crombie said.

We need to build trust in the community that they can go to the army and stay Haredi

“We need to build trust in the community that they can go to the army and stay Haredi, but there is also the problem that most people in the Haredi community don’t trust themselves, that they will be strong enough to go to the army and stay Haredi,” he said.

According to Crombie, “For the last 25 years, the Haredi political leaders made all the bad decisions that they could. They said they just wanted to take care of the yeshivot and their traditional institutions. That’s what they think is the most important thing in the world and the reason why God created the world: To let us study the Torah. But they didn’t even negotiate it with the Israeli society. They’re allowed to think it’s not fair, but as I said, 55% of their men aren’t in the yeshivot. So why didn’t they start pushing the people to go to the army and find some solution?”

With the Knesset soon to adjourn for summer recess, some moderate government members have stated they will only support a law that mandates the enlistment of a substantial number of ultra-Orthodox men. This urgency might compel the military to begin drafting religious men before any new legislation is enacted.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has been advocating for a bill from 2022 that proposed limited ultra-Orthodox enlistment, and that is currently up for debate in the Knesset, but critics argue it is insufficient to address the current manpower shortfall, as the military needs to maintain its forces in Gaza and prepare for a potential war with Hezbollah.