IDF confirms: Recruitment target of 4,800 Haredim in one year cannot be met

This announcement came during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which convened to discuss the ongoing issue of haredi enlistment in the military and explore potential economic incentives aimed at encouraging yeshiva students to join the IDF.

At the meeting, Avigdor Dikstein, the head of the IDF's Haredi Division in the Manpower Directorate, reported on the current status of the recruitment drive. He had previously shared plans to issue an additional 14,000 draft notices to haredi men, a move that had sparked ongoing discussions. According to the schedule provided at the meeting, the IDF intends to send out 5,000 draft notices this Thursday, followed by another 4,000 notices in about two weeks. A final batch of 5,000 notices is expected to be sent in early May.

Despite these efforts, Dikstein acknowledged that the target of enlisting 4,800 haredi soldiers by the end of the year is unlikely to be achieved. The military continues to face significant challenges in convincing yeshiva students to enlist, due in part to strong religious and cultural opposition to service in the IDF.

The issue of haredi enlistment has been a longstanding point of contention in Israeli politics, with debates over the balance between national security needs and religious freedom. In recent years, the government has proposed various solutions, including offering economic incentives to encourage haredi men to join the IDF, but progress has been slow.

As the IDF seeks to meet its manpower needs, it remains to be seen whether these new efforts, including the additional draft notices and potential financial incentives, will be enough to bridge the gap in haredi recruitment.