A controversy erupted over what IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram told a classified meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee about how the military decided that the number of haredim it can immediately integrate is 3,000 in addition to the around 1,800 it already has.The 3,000 is out of a class of around 10,000-12,000 per academic year, with over 60,000 haredim potentially in play from several academic years following the High Court of Justice’s June 25 blockbuster order for a universal draft and the freezing of funds to Haredi institutions that do not comply.That order, which gathered momentum from the fact that so many IDF soldiers have died in the current war, broke open the issue of potentially drafting more haredim after the ultra-Orthodox parties had kept the issue out of the public eye for years.Yet, part of the idea is that haredim (ultra-Orthodox) require special arrangements, including often service environments with special religious provisions and with fewer interactions with female soldiers.Meanwhile, the haredi political parties are under pressure to regain their institutions’ funding, but have not shown clear signs of being willing to accept even a partial draft.
According to a KAN report, Baram was asked how the IDF arrived at the 3,000 number and he responded that “we want to convince them to come. The IDF only drafts out of love, mostly for battle.”The KAN report said that some of the FADC members giggled at this, making it clear that the member who leaked to KAN was either a haredi MK or part of the coalition seeking to discredit the IDF on the issue.
Report not entirely accurate
An IDF spokesman said that the report was not entirely accurate and that a fuller explanation would eventually be publicized, but did not provide timing on when that would be.Some members of the FADC were upset that Baram came without IDF Human Resources Chief Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asur, who had been summoned two days ago.A later statement indicated that Asur might appear on Tuesday, and disputed any account that the schedule had ever intended anything different.The Knesset is in session until July 24, after which it will recess until September.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to postpone the issue to September, concerned that the haredim could bring the government down over their funds being frozen, but hoping that fear of a worse solution under a different government will hold them in line.