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IDF Chief to Haredi ‘Hashmonaim’ Soldiers: “You Prove There’s No Contradiction Between Torah and Service”

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited the ultra-Orthodox “Hashmonaim” combat battalion and delivered a message aimed at easing tensions over the military draft within the Haredi community. “You are the proof that there is no contradiction between a Haredi lifestyle and serving in the IDF,” Halevi told the soldiers. “Whoever enlists as a Haredi — will remain a Haredi.” The comments come amid heightened debate over the conscription of yeshiva students, as the military begins to enforce draft laws more visibly, including plans to arrest draft dodgers at checkpoints near Haredi cities. Halevi’s remarks were seen as an effort to reassure the community that religious identity will be respected within the army ranks.