A special committee established in the wake of a media report two months ago that Chareidi enlistment numbers were forged to reach Chareidi recruitment objectives, will recommend foregoing mass recruitment of Chareidim among other suggestions, Haaretz reported on Tuesday morning.
The committee, which was formed at the request of IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, is slated to publish its final conclusions at the end of the week.
According to the report, the committee’s main recommendation will be to decrease the age that Chareidim can receive an exemption from IDF service and eventually cancel the requirement for Chareidim to wait until a certain age for army exemption altogether, in order to facilitate the integration of Charediim into the workforce.
Currently, yeshivah bochurim who have reached the age of recruitment receive a deferment from army service every year until age 24, when they are eligible for an exemption. The committee discovered that many Chareidim remain in yeshivah until age 24 only to avoid IDF service and lowering the age requirement or canceling it altogether will allow Chareidim to enter the job market earlier.
The committee criticized the enlistment of Chareidim aged 21 and over, who usually are married by then and may have children, and require special conditions in order to be enlisted. The committee noted that Chareidim are recruited in the name of the “principle of equality” but the special conditions and higher payment they require actually increase the lack of equality between Chareidi and secular soldiers – even combat soldiers.
The committee concluded that not only does widespread Chareidi recruitment harm the “principle of equality” but it makes it difficult for the IDF to allocate resources for more crucial needs.
Regarding the forged data, the committee concluded that the data they examined points toward a serious systemic failure. Some of the forged data was deliberately inflated and most of the data was not accurate. Contrary to what was reported, there was no increase in the number of Chareidim recruited to the IDF from 2015 – 2018.
Disciplinary measures are likely be enforced against the head of the IDF Manpower Directorate and other officers in the wake of the report.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Hoidu Lashem!
B”H
In other words, the army decided they don’t really need Hareidim after all. This sort of proves that the ONLY reason the hilonim want to draft hareidim is to disrupt the hareidi community in the hopes of coercing as many as possible to “go off the derekh”. The army appears to have decided to focus on defending the country against the Palestinians and Iranians (the other Arabs seem to have lost interest in the conflict), rather than being the front line in the war against Torah.
Haredi enlistment?- One big Israbloff!
The IDF don’t want or need Haredim. The whole thing was aroused by a small bunch of lefty cry-babies and the anti Jewish High court of Israel….. And it gives Leiberman something to cry about when he needs something to cry about so as to get noticed…..
Interesting point to consider, but all this was done without the input of the Chareidi MK’s..
This would be a sea change in the chareidi population. For years many had to stay in yeshivos & kollelim even if they couldn’t manage full day learning, as the alternative was compulsory recruitment into an environment poisonous to their upbringing and yiras shomayim. With this, these people would be able to earn and train for a parnosso that’s sustainable.
Baruch Hashem that there’s been no increase in chareidim joining their army.