In a significant development that marks a turning point in Israel's long-standing debate over ultra-Orthodox military service, young yeshiva students are set to report to recruitment offices starting tomorrow. The Tel Hashomer recruitment office will be the first to receive these ultra-Orthodox men, aged 18 to 23, who have been issued their first draft notices.
The process will unfold in three waves, with 600 ultra-Orthodox men summoned for tomorrow and another 500 expected on Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Forces IDF anticipates between 100-150 young ultra-Orthodox men will arrive each day. At the recruitment office, they will undergo a series of evaluations including medical examinations, psychometric tests, and interviews with classification officers.
Notably, all these procedures will be conducted by male personnel, in consideration of ultra-Orthodox sensitivities.
This initiative is part of a broader plan by the IDF to integrate ultra-Orthodox men into its ranks. The military aims to establish a combat battalion capable of replacing over ten reserve battalions, with the long-term goal of forming an entire brigade. However, the implementation of this plan is not without challenges. The police are preparing for potential protests and disturbances, highlighting the contentious nature of this issue within the ultra-Orthodox community.
The move comes in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling on July 9th, which declared that there is no legal framework allowing yeshiva students to be exempt from military service.
The court also ruled that without the authority to exempt from service, there's also no authority to fund institutions whose students don't enlist.
* Kann News contributed to this article.