The Israeli Army will recruit ultra-Orthodox youth despite resistance

The Israeli Army has taken a crucial step by announcing that it will issue summons notices for ultra-Orthodox youths starting next Sunday. This decision is part of an attempt to recruit members of the ultra-Orthodox community amidst the conflict with Hamas in Gaza and the escalation with Hezbollah on the northern border. Despite strong opposition from this religious sector, the Army has made it clear that it seeks to promote the integration of these youths into its ranks to address the growing operational needs at this time of security challenges. The issuance of the summons orders is the first step in the selection and evaluation process that the Army will carry out for new recruits, in view of the upcoming recruitment cycle that began in July. Ultra-Orthodox Jews have expressed their discontent with this forced integration, staging protests in recent weeks. The Israeli Supreme Court has urged the government to increase the number of religious youths performing mandatory military service, creating a climate of tension in Israeli society. Against this backdrop, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the sending of recruitment orders to the ultra-Orthodox last week, without specifying how many of the approximately 63,000 young people of military age will receive such orders. The armed forces have warned that by 2024 they may only be able to recruit 3,000, considering the special requirements that ultra-Orthodox Jews have in areas such as diet or cohabitation with women. Tensions have escalated in the past hours with an attack by an ultra-Orthodox mob on two Army officers in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv. This incident has been condemned by various Israeli political sectors, including the leader of the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism, which is part of the Government coalition. The controversy surrounding the exemption from military service for yeshiva students has been a recurring issue in Israel, especially at a time when the country faces serious security challenges both in Gaza and on the border with Lebanon. The Supreme Court has been clear in pointing out that there is no legal basis for excluding ultra-Orthodox men from recruitment, sparking a debate on equity in mandatory military service in Israel. The situation is further complicated by the threat of cuts in educational and social assistance subsidies for those who do not comply with military service. In this context, the Army faces the difficult task of recruiting ultra-Orthodox youths while trying to maintain the cohesion and effectiveness of its forces in a time of great uncertainty and tensions in the region.