IDF: Only 5% of Drafted Charedi Men Begin Enlistment Process, Sparking Political Tensions

Despite the issuance of over 24,000 draft notices to Charedi (ultra-Orthodox) men since the summer of 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has seen a staggeringly low compliance rate, with only about 5% initiating the enlistment process. This revelation was made public during a tense session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s Subcommittee for IDF Human Resources on Wednesday.

Brigadier General Shay Tayeb, head of the IDF's Human Resources Directorate, disclosed that just 1,212 Charedi men have begun the initial steps toward enlistment. Of the 2,399 who were issued immediate call-up orders, 545 failed to appear by their scheduled reporting date, sparking concerns about widespread noncompliance.

Under current military regulations, any individual who ignores three consecutive draft notices is classified as a "draft evader." This designation results in an automatic arrest warrant and the imposition of a tzav 12 status a legal restriction that prohibits the individual from leaving the country and subjects them to possible arrest during routine police interactions. According to Tayeb, 964 Charedi men have already been labeled as draft evaders, with 1,366 active warrants currently in place.

Demographic data shared during the hearing revealed that roughly half of the draft recipients are under 20 years old, 40% are aged between 20 and 23, and the remaining 10% are over 23. As a result of their draft status, 411 Charedi men have been delayed at Ben Gurion Airport, with 43 physically blocked from departing Israel.

Tayeb emphasized the urgent need for manpower amid ongoing security threats, noting, “The security situation requires very significant manpower. We are carrying out enforcement actions… there was a policy of increasing punishment.” However, several committee members accused the military of foot-dragging. Former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Harel charged that “the army is dragging its feet to the point where it does not want to recruit Charedim.” MK Elazar Stern, committee chair and former head of IDF manpower, echoed the criticism, lamenting, “There is no progress on the issue of recruiting Charedim.”

The IDF recently launched a Military Police operation targeting individuals who have ignored draft orders, but no arrests of Charedi draft evaders were made. The move ignited fury among Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners, who warned that increasing pressure on the yeshiva community could threaten the stability of the current government.

While Tayeb cited limited operational resources and wartime demands as obstacles to aggressive enforcement, he acknowledged that existing sanctions are too weak to compel widespread compliance. “The sanctions that exist today are very sparse,” he said. “If the state is willing, it can deny certain government services to those who do not serve.