A major shift in Haredim's attitude toward military service could be unfolding behind the scenes in some parts of the community.
While politicians are busy with proposals that are perceived by the various parties as populist and unrealistic – major Haredi power brokers have been examining ways to seize on the new solidarity expressed by many yeshiva students in the wake of the war, potentially creating the necessary conditions for having those who no longer actively study there to join the IDF.
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While in the ultra-Orthodox world, they are trying to create a unified front outwardly regarding the opposition to the draft – in practice there are those who are considering it positively, especially among younger Haredim.
In most cases, these are students from the Sephardi yeshivas, who are in any case more integrated into the general Israeli society and feel ready for a change, although no concrete steps have been taken to have them join the IDF.
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In recent days, quite a few yeshiva heads have come to the home of the rosh yeshiva of the Slabodka yeshiva of Bnei Brak and the de facto leader the leader of the non-Hassidic ultra-Orthodox community, telling him about their views on the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription. There is a broad consensus regarding the understanding that those who study Torah will remain in yeshiva, but the question remains as to what happens to those who have dropped out or failed to engage in study. The heads of the various parties are also keeping close contact with various figures in the rabbi's orbit.
Meanwhile, Netzah Yehuda, an organization that has championed the recruitment to the IDF for years, said they have passed on in recent weeks the names of more than 2,000 potential recruits from ultra-Orthodox society, which they received from ultra-Orthodox soldiers who enlisted.
"It's ridiculous that they're trying to let things remain as they were," says Netzah Yehuda CEO Yossi Levi regarding various Knesset proposals. He believes that the attempt to raise the exemption age to 35 and introduce quotas stems from a desire to please Israeli society, but it is ineffective and mainly ignores the fact that there is a significant percentage of the ultra-Orthodox public that wants to enlist but is held back by the ultra-Orthodox leadership.
Levi said, "The State of Israel invested NIS 1.7 billion ($300,000) in integrating the ultra-Orthodox into academia, but nothing in a program to integrate the ultra-Orthodox into the IDF. The result is that even those suitable for the draft are not directed towards it at all. This must change."
The association has prepared a plan for ultra-Orthodox conscription, published here for the first time, in which they detail the way to recruit many ultra-Orthodox into the IDF. The plan calls for recruitment targets without criminal sanctions, but rather through various incentives such as subsidized studies and prioritization when purchasing an apartment. Among other things, it is proposed to develop a five-year government program that will include clear recruitment goals and to appoint a brigadier general rank advisor to the chief of staff on ultra-Orthodox affairs.
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