Bennett: "No Victory Without Soldiers — The Ultra-Orthodox Must Be Drafted"

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett launched a sharp attack on the current government, accusing it of undermining Israel’s military efforts against Hamas by refusing to draft ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) youth into the army.

In a post published Saturday evening, Bennett argued that the ongoing stagnation in Gaza is directly tied to the government’s policies, which are depriving the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of the manpower needed to achieve victory.

According to Bennett, while ministers issue “bombastic declarations” about conquering Gaza, they simultaneously block the army from obtaining the additional soldiers necessary to carry out such missions. "The same ministers who shout about total victory," Bennett wrote, "are the ones preventing the IDF from getting the troops it needs."

Bennett pointed out that for the past year and a half, the IDF has been stretched thin across multiple fronts — Lebanon, Syria, the Jordan Valley, Judea and Samaria, the Sinai border, and Gaza itself. He revealed that the army is currently short by approximately 20,000 soldiers.

As a result, Israel’s reserve soldiers, including students, business owners, engineers, and CEOs, have been repeatedly called up under emergency conscription orders, known as "Tzav 8."

Bennett criticized the extended use of Tzav 8, noting it was intended for short-term emergencies, not for routine security duties.

He proposed a straightforward solution: drafting just one-fifth of eligible Haredi young men. "Young 18 to 21-year-olds, who if drafted last August like my own son, would already be deployed across the country today," he stated.

Bennett emphasized that drafting ultra-Orthodox men is not an abstract issue, citing the example of Neta Kahana, a brave Israeli soldier who joined the army shortly after October 7 and was recently killed in action in Gaza.

"Why aren’t young Haredi men his age even considering serving?" he asked, answering that it is because government ministers refuse to act seriously on the matter.

He accused the current government of cowardice, stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are “shaking in fear” of their ultra-Orthodox political allies, Yitzhak Goldknopf and Aryeh Deri.

"This is a disgraceful government that prioritizes politics over the good of the state," Bennett charged. "Instead of solving the problem, they are grinding down the reserve forces. Now, when the time comes to launch a major operation in Gaza, the IDF simply does not have the soldiers needed."

Bennett concluded by warning that hundreds of thousands of Israeli families live in constant fear for their loved ones, while "an entire sector of society sleeps soundly." He ended on a note of optimism, promising: "Change will come."