Haredi recruitment flops despite IDF's minimal targets

Young Haredi men are arriving this morning (Monday) at the recruitment office in Tel Hashomer to enlist in combat roles and as combat supporters in the Hasmonean Brigade. However, the numbers are very far from the original targets that the IDF set.

Extremists came to the recruitment office in Tel Hashomer for demonstrations against Haredi conscription. So far, there have been no reports of unusual clashes or arrests.

Kan Reshet Bet reported this morning that the IDF's ultra-Orthodox recruitment targets have been reduced to almost a minimum, following a failure to show up. The data show that in the first three months of this year (from July last year), 3,000 orders were sent and 627 appeared. This represents only 20%.

In the second trimester, according to the report, 7,014 orders were sent and only 367 actually appeared. This is only about 5%. Accordingly, in the second trimester, 2,473 arrest warrants were sent and 446 "12 orders" were issued (orders for non-cooperation and delay in leaving the country).

In the third trimester, about 10,000 orders have been sent so far. About 4,000 of them last month and about 4,000 in recent weeks. Another 5,000 orders are expected to be sent in the coming month.

Kan Reshet Bet added that the IDF referred to the low numbers and responded that the numbers were much lower than the planning and the system's needs. This is "disheartening," it was reported. It was also reported that the recruitment target was cut to 80 in advance of today's enlistment, and it is estimated that in the end, about 40-50 recruits will actually arrive.

"The brigade exists," a security source told Kan Reshet Bet, about the Hasmonean Brigade, "but in practice they didn't manage to fill even a company. There are a total of about 40 soldiers there who have been recruited to date. There is not enough manpower. They lowered the recruitment targets for the brigade in order to adapt the goals to the reality on the ground."