The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Yuli Edelstein, held a discussion on the emerging Chareidi recruitment law on Tuesday morning.
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz outlined the bill he is advancing, stating that the law would include personal sanctions for the first time. “The first target I set is 50% of bnei yeshivos over 7 years. The target number will increase every year until the seventh year. The goal for the first year is 4,800 and 5,700 for the second year. It is proposed to include economic sanctions if annual targets are not met, as well as institutional sanctions on all yeshivos.
“The second thing is personal sanctions on all those designated for military service, including lomdei Torah. For example, daycare subsidies and matters of this nature that the committee will need to discuss will not be granted. My opinion is that anyone who isn’t learning and does not serve should face sanctions, but I was convinced through dialogue that there will be sanctions not only on the yeshivos but also on lomdei Torah, which has not happened until now.”
Katz responded to the position presented by the IDF Personnel Directorate, according to which starting in 2026, the IDF will be able to recruit all Charedim. “The ability to recruit and the ability to absorb are two different things. To actually recruit, the consent of the leaders of the Charedi sector is required, as well as a law that will regulate the status of lomdei Torah. Without this, the absorption capability will remain only on paper.”
Katz stressed: “The exemption age will be 26. An important clause is that national civil service [such as United Hatzalah and ZAKA] will not be included in the targets, except for service in security services and even this exception will be limited to preserve service in the IDF itself. In the event of the failure to meet targets over time, the government will pass a new law with the approval of the Knesset, and during this period, all sanctions will continue to apply.”
“Due to the fact that Chareidim will eventually make up a third of Israel’s population, I find it important to promote legislation based on dialogue and agreement, including from Chareidi leaders. It is also necessary to address the failures that existed in previous arrangements that were invalidated by the Supreme Court. The targets must be realistic and reflect the correct ratio between possibility and reality.”
A senior member of a Chareidi party said in response to Katz’s statements: “There is no such thing as sanctions on lomdei Torah. We did not agree and will not agree to such a clause.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
“…To actually recruit, the consent of the leaders of the Charedi sector is required, as well as a law that will regulate the status of lomdei Torah. Without this, the absorption capability will remain only on paper.”
“..I find it important to promote legislation based on dialogue and agreement, including from Chareidi leaders..”
..”The targets must be realistic and reflect the correct ratio between possibility and reality…”
While he is dreaming of great success he also admits at the same time, it being totally unrealistic!
What happened?? He sounds worse than the left!
Watch your back Katz God may come after you.
we will never serve in the zionists army made up of tuma, the only goal of the zionists is shmad, the torah protects us and we will not participate in this 80 year old failed experiment called zionism the torah is thousands of years old. the zionists are going to collapse soon.
They want to destroy the hareidim.
They are the misyavnim and worse.
Black day darker than 10/7
Shehichshichu eineihem shel Yisroel
I think we need the hashmonaim to come after these guys
Lomdei Torah won’t follow orders. Nor will they fight. Will the IDF build military prisons to incarcerate thousands?
I have no problem with the Haredi community not serving in the IDF. As long as they don’t live in Israel. But if you choose to live in Israel you have to share the national burden of army service. If you are not willing to do that then leave. We have plenty of religious Jews for whom Torah is a priority, and who serve in the army. We don’t need, and quite frankly, don’t want, an entire society of people who take from the state but do not give back when they are needed, and in the manner in which they are needed, to do so. There is no historical context in which not serving in the army which defends the Jewish people can be excused due to learning Torah. Quite the opposite in fact.
@Geoffrey Stuart
we Jews didn’t want the zionist state, nor do we want the wars they started. This is not our fight, despite us getting caught between the warring sides.
Yours wouldn’t be the first government to expel (chas v’shulom) all Jews for not assimilating.
The Hilonim believe that once Hareidim are drafted they will go OTD and be good zionists. The more likely result is that they will become fanatical anti-zionists, and security risks, and that will weaken the IDF and impair its ability to defend Israel.
An alternative would be to limit aid for adult yeshiva students to those who are serving, or have served, in the IDF, and perhaps setting up part time jobs in such areas as military industries that are coordinated with yeshivos. The carrot might work especially as the number of Bnei Torah in Eretz Yisrael exceeds the ability of the frum community to support them; the stick will just make enemies (cf: Russia adopted a policy of conscripting Jews in the hope they would assimilate, and ended up with a revolution in which Jews played a major role).