Despite a predicted sharp decline in the number of chareidim entering the IDF due to the chareidi draft efforts, data presented to a ministerial committee shows otherwise. According to the numbers presented to a ministerial committee on Sunday 12 Elul, there is a 39% increase in the number of chareidim entering the IDF.
In 2013-2014 a total of 1,972 chareidim entered the IDF while the goal for the year was set at 2,000. For the sake of comparison, 1,416 chareidim entered the IDF in the year earlier (2012-2013) and 1,327 a year before that (2011-2012).
11,000 chareidim reported to the chareidi induction center and received a draft deferment and they were referred to programs offered by the Ministry of the Economy to bring them into the workplace.
The civilian service program failed, with only 801 chareidim opting for service instead of the IDF. This number is a far cry from the predictions from government officials.
Of the inductees in 2013-2014; 863 entered combat units and the IDF is now setting up Tamar, a unique combat training for chareidim that will not be part of Nachal Chareidi but the Givati Brigade. The new option is aimed at increasing the options for chareidim entering the IDF wishing to become combatants.
Committee Chair MK (Yesh Atid) Yaakov Peri told his colleagues the new chareidi draft law is paving the way to the integration of the chareidi community into mainstream society. He added “today, just 14 months following committee approval and 5 months following Knesset approval I am pleased to say that we are witness to the beginning of a social revolution”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
Let’s be clear: The government has an expansive and unrealistic definition of who it counts as a chareidi when counting idf recruits. It is looking to inflate the numbers for PR purposes. Additionally, those “chareidim” that do enlist are by and large the dropouts and not the typical run of the mill chareidi you’ll find in Bnei Brak or Beit Shemesh.
This information may be misleading and untrue, as per the following report. Please verify and clarify the facts. Thank you.
Hiddush, the liberal Movement for Religious Freedom and Equality, on Monday debunked the figures spread by the Yesh Atid party the day before, which bragged of a dramatic increase in hareidi IDF enlistment over the last year thanks to a new draft law.
According to Hiddush, the claims of a dramatic increase are “as accurate as Hamas’s declaration of a decisive victory in Gaza” during Operation Protective Edge.
The Knesset committee tasked with tracking the Enlistment Law, which is headed by Science Minister Ya’akov Peri (Yesh Atid), announced a 39% hareidi enlistment increase through the 2013-2014 draft year on Sunday.
However, Hiddush CEO Uri Regev said in response “these are exactly the same figures given two months ago to the Knesset’s Shaked Committee which were justly presented as a completely failure. The number of (hareidi) draftees dropped by half due to the Enlistment Law.”
According to the numbers presented Sunday, the hareidi draft rose 39% in the past year as 1,972 inductees were brought in, as opposed to 1,416 the year before, and 1,327 the year before that.
Hiddush Vice President of Research and Information Shahar Ilan revealed that Peri’s committee neglected to detail that in the first half of the 2013-2014 draft year, a
period from July till December 2013 before the controversial draft law, 1,235 hareidim enlisted.
However, in the second half of the draft year from January until July, during which time the effects of the law were being felt, draft nosedived dramatically by 50%, dropping to a mere 623 draftees.
“That means the announcement (Sunday) connected figures from before the rising resistance to the law and after it. The figures from the last half of the year testify to
the complete failure,” explained Ilan.
Not coming “even close” to government set goals
Ilan added that the effects of the law are best appreciated by comparing the figures of each half year with figures from the year before.
In the second half of 2013 there was a dramatic rise of 56% compared to the second half of 2012, as numbers rose from 793 to 1235. By contrast, in the first half of 2014 there was a rise of merely 18% compared to the first half of 2013, with figures going from 623 to 737.
The 18% increase is only half of the increase needed to meet the hareidi enlistment figures the government set for itself, Ilan pointed out. He added “if that was the
pace of enlistment throughout the whole year, the IDF wouldn’t even come close to meeting the goal” of 2,000 inductees in 2014.
Regev concluded by saying “the Enlistment Law caused great damage to the hareidi enlistment. We must hope that maybe hareidi interest in Operation Protective Edge will
fix that a little.”
“It’s a shame that the government and the parties that passed the Enlistment Law still don’t understand that revolutions aren’t conducted through Facebook statuses and media announcements, but rather through true changes in the society,” added Regev in a subtle jab at social media-savvy Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid, who together with Jewish Home pushed the law though.
As early as June, only three months after the law was passed, Rabbi Avraham Baron, former Chairman for 25 years of the Hesder Yeshivas Association, told Arutz Sheva that hareidi enlistment had fallen sharply and said he hoped the Supreme Court would invalidate the law.
Arutz Sheva, Monday Sept.8.14
which one is it, are the chareidim defying the gedolim, or are these people “chareidim”
i think the latter
That’s what he wants R”L; a social revolution for the chareidim to assimilate Hashem Yerachem; it’s got nothing to do with Army service. Take these number with a pinch of salt; who do they consider chareidi and why did they choose to go to the army? And what happened to the 11000 been referred to a program? How many didn’t report at all?
With Hashem’s help we’ll remain strong and succeed against the Reshoims evil intentions!
It’s weird that I actually believe a Reform Sheigetz over Yesh Atid’s report.
80% deferment is a good sign, but there are some cracks showing.
Yes, I was going to point to the same report as Little One that debunks Yaakov Peri’s “victory.” The numbers are cooked. I would trust Shahar Ilan and Hiddush on this matter.
dklanoi:
I have to say I STRONGLY resent your statement that “With Hashem’s help we’ll remain strong and succeed against the Reshoims evil intentions!”
I’m a devout, Torah observant Jew and also one of those “Reshoim” you’re talking about. That kind of nastiness, when talking about ME and your other fellow Jews is wrong, immoral, ignorant. It promotes hatred.
Those who think every Jew should serve the community in some form other than davening and study alone are not reshoim. Grow up. Learn to discuss complicated issues without being nasty, and do t’shuva for all the strife you cause.
MODERATOR:
Why do you allow comments such as this:
“It’s weird that I actually believe a Reform Sheigetz over Yesh Atid’s report.”
These people have no business commenting on a Jewish website. Ban them or make them be civil to their fellow Yid.
#1 ujm you took the words out of my mouth.
#6 I agree
Rabbi Baron’s remark at the end of that report is anytime more trustworthy than those crooks in Yesh Atid who are out to inflate the numbers for PR reasons. Lapid’s approval rating has recently plunged very, very low and with these fabrications he’s trying to mollify his constituents who voted for him on condition he bring charedim into the army. Since this didn’t work out, he got a new way to soothe his secular voters – to nullify Shabbes in public areas.
Based on that photo I think it’s all about the hats. Evidently IDF wear berets and chareidim wear fedoras and who wants to wear a smaller hat.
#7 sorry, but you only read half of my comment. It is clear from Mr Peri that he is not concerned about serving the community but about a social revolution which means assimilation.
And anyone who defies the guidance of our gedolim and does so with brutality is a Rosho even with a kippah on the head.
#7 So Repent your evil ways!
Your final paragraph is a wonderful self serving strawman but obviously pathetic ,so continue the trot to this ‘pied piper’and persist some more in keeping our heads in the sand as to his/their real goals!)
#7
Is it the inability or cowardly refusal of most to call evil evil, and obsfucate and whitewash for any who, accidentally ,were born our race(,eh..all the while hypocritically somehow frothing venom
for all those who just so happened to have born from ,say ,
a muslim mother) ,that keeps us in our currently declining predicament?!
My oldest boy has one more year of school, and then plans to go from the US to Israel to study and then enlist. We are lining it all up now. He will be joining many of his classmates and friends who have already gone. I have three more sons after that.
So I don’t think it’s pathetic to tell you that I resent being called a rasha, when I am donating money and sons to a cause (approved by MY rabbis), and you are sitting at home saying nasty things about me and other Jews.
You need to learn to discuss issues without being nasty, without calling everyone else a rasha or shaygetz. Your scorn for your fellow Jews will bring you hatred and failure in return. Show some respect for others.