IDF Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, while conducting a situational assessment of the central Gaza Strip with other top commanders, spoke of drafting haredim, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
Halevi, while referring to the ultra-Orthodox draft, said, “We want to expand the base as much as possible - of those who come to enlist, I tell you that there is an opportunity for change in the ultra-Orthodox community, (the base) is not broad enough, but there is a desire for change."
"A battalion that we establish today, will hold a sector in the Jordan Valley, will hold a sector in Judea and Samaria, will hold a defensive position here. Every such battalion that we establish, an ultra-Orthodox battalion, decreases the need for the deployment of many thousands of reservists thanks to the mandatory service people," Halevi noted.
"And this is now a clear need, and so we strongly encourage it, and we want to do it right."