Chair of the Movement for Quality Government in Israel: “While the IDF is calling on reservists who got an exemption to return to service, only 56 ultra-Orthodox enlisted out of 3,000 draft orders issued. This is a blatant disregard of the Supreme Court ruling and a violation of equality”
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel today, Wednesday 25 December, appealed to the chair of the Knesset State Audit Committee, MK Mickey Levy, demanding an urgent discussion regarding the significant shortfall in ultra-Orthodox recruitment to the IDF and the non-implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on the matter. This accords with alarming data that points to a huge gap between the IDF’s requirement to recruit 4,800 yeshiva members this year, and the reality on the ground.
From the data revealed, a disturbing picture emerges: out of 3,000 “targeted” conscription orders issued in the first round, only 330 people whose service had been postponed reported to the recruitment vase, of whom only 56 actually enlisted – none of them as combatants. This comes at a time when, according to the IDF Chief of Staff’s assessment, the IDF lacks 15 combat battalions (about 12,000 soldiers), and the army has even begun to call up 15,000 civilians who were exempted from reserve duty to return to service.
The Movement demands that at the hearing the IDF present accurate and true data regarding personnel needs, the ability to recruit ultra-Orthodox, and the actual number of recruits. The Movement also demands an explanation as to why it has not issued ‘tzav rishon’ initial call-up order for the 17,000 yeshiva students, as it does for every other future recruit. In view of the importance of the issue, the Movement requests that both the IDF Chief of Staff and the State Comptroller attend the discussion.
Adv. Dr. Eliad Shraga, chair of the Movement for Quality Government in Israel: “Six months have passed since the Supreme Court ruling requiring the conscription of yeshiva students, and in practice we are witnessing a systematic disregard of the court’s decision. At a time when the country has been in a severe and brutal war for over 14 months, and the IDF is crying out because of the shortage of servicemen and women, it is unthinkable that equality in recruitment will remain only a recommendation. We demand complete transparency regarding the data and immediate application of the law in an equitable manner.”
