A civilian service program aiming to draft ultra-Orthodox men of eligible age for military service into the Border Police is set to begin in the near future. A civil service official told Israel Hayom that 50 haredim (ultra-Orthodox) would be drafted into the service in the first stage of the plan.

The plan will be implemented before the next Knesset decides how to replace the Tal Law, which until now exempted ultra-Orthodox men from military service, and which expired on Aug. 1.

The new Border Police unit comprised of haredi men will operate in the Judea region as part of an overall plan to prevent the infiltration of illegal immigrants into Jerusalem.

The special needs of haredi men were discussed in recent meetings between National Civilian Service Administration Director-General Sar-Shalom Jerbi and Border Police Commander Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevi.

The plan to draft haredi men has surprised many in ultra-Orthodox communities, who have consistently expressed their opposition to any form of national service for yeshiva students, especially service in Border Police units, with whom they have clashed in the past during demonstrations.