Israeli data reveals massive number of ultra-Orthodox Jews refuse to enlist in military service

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Official Israeli data presented on Wednesday revealed that only 232 Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) men responded to 18,915 military draft orders issued in recent weeks, underscoring persistent refusal to serve in the Israeli army, according to a Knesset statement.

Col. Avigdor Dickstein, head of the Haredi branch in the Israeli army’s Personnel Directorate, shared these figures with the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee.

“Out of 18,915 draft orders issued recently, only 232 Haredim responded, while 1,840 ignored the summons, 962 were declared draft dodgers, and 68 were exempted for various reasons,” he said, citing the Knesset release.

Dickstein pointed out that the army set a goal of recruiting 4,800 Haredi soldiers in 2024 and 2025 but has only enlisted 1,721, and according to the Knesset statement, "This number is insufficient and does not meet the significant operational need."

The Haredi community, which accounts for roughly 13% of Israel's 10 million population, has continued to protest conscription following a Supreme Court ruling on June 25, 2024, mandating their enlistment and halting funding for yeshivas (religious schools) whose students refuse service.

Senior rabbis, whose guidance is considered binding by Haredim, have urged followers to reject draft orders, with some calling for “tearing up” summons.

Haredim argue that Torah study is their primary duty and that integration into secular society threatens their religious identity.

For decades, Haredi men have evaded conscription at age 18 through repeated deferrals tied to yeshiva enrollment until reaching the exemption age of 26.

The opposition accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing for a new law to restore Haredi exemptions to satisfy coalition partners Shas and United Torah Judaism, risking government collapse.

This draft-dodging comes as the Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel has killed over 51,300 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.