The IDF's latest push to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews is faltering spectacularly.
Now, military brass are mulling an even bolder move — issuing 5,000 orders in the next round, this time targeting yeshiva students alongside working ultra-Orthodox men. It's a high-stakes gamble that risks inflaming tensions in Israel's already fractious religious communities.
Defense officials say it like this, "We're walking a tightrope here ... Push too hard, and we could see riots in the streets. Do nothing, and we're shirking our duty to national security."
The numbers tell a sobering tale. While a trickle of ultra-Orthodox recruits have joined elite combat units like the Paratroopers, the IDF is nowhere near its ambitious target of 4,800 Haredi enlistments this year. At the current rate, they'll be lucky to hit a quarter of that goal.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is calling for a tactical retreat. "We need to understand what went wrong before we double down," he told advisers. But with the Supreme Court breathing down the government's neck on this issue, time is running short.
Critics like Minister Orit Strock say the entire approach is misguided. "You can't force this issue," she argues. "We need legislation, not strong-arm tactics."
As Israel grapples with this thorny issue, the clock is ticking. With each passing day, the gulf between the ultra-Orthodox and mainstream Israeli society grows wider, testing the nation's social fabric like never before.
Israel Hayom contributed to this article.
