Israel's military is facing major criticism after a media report said it had inflated figures for ultra-Orthodox enlistment.
A report by Israeli public broadcaster Kan said Wednesday that the military "doubled or even tripled" the number of ultra-Orthodox men drafted over the past several years. In recent years the IDF has said ultra-Orthodox draft figures have surged.
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The issue of mandatory military service for the ultra-Orthodox sector has dogged Israeli politics for years. Many in the Haredi community believe they should receive a blanket exemption from military conscription, which they see as secondary to Torah study, but secular Israelis oppose being expected to shoulder the burden without any contribution by a substantial sector of the population.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi has tasked former GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. (res.) Roni Numa with investigating the issue. Numa will also determine the correct Haredi enlistment numbers for the years 2011 to 2018.
In a statement, the IDF firmly rejected allegations that the inflated numbers were a concerted effort to deceive lawmakers and the public, but were the result of unclear methods for counting who is considered ultra-Orthodox.
"The claim that the Haredi enlistment figures were fabricated is incorrect," the IDF said. "An initial review indicated that there were discrepancies in the tallying process, but the source of this was not, in any way or form, an IDF-wide attempt to deceive with the numbers."
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee also announced it would convene on Monday to discuss the inflated numbers, summoning representatives from the military and the Defense Ministry.
