I believe it is inevitable that the IDF will make the necessary adjustments to accommodate the needs of haredim (ultra-Orthodox), which will allow haredi men to begin to join the IDF in growing numbers. When that occurs, Israel’s secular Left, which has complained about the paucity of haredi Jews drafting into the IDF, will not be pleased with the outcome of their successful campaign: a more religious army.
Ironically, it is the progressives in Israel who may inadvertently weaken their own influence in the IDF by pressing for ultra-Orthodox enlistment.
The question of the haredi draft isn’t just any political issue here in Israel. It is a very real and complex societal challenge that is eating away at the very fabric of society and must be resolved. But like any major social change, this one requires time, patience, and a large dose of sensitivity.
I’m not here to debate the pros and cons of that change, but I believe that a solution isn’t as elusive as some would have us believe. Contrary to loud campaigns from the Left, there are many ultra-Orthodox men who genuinely want to serve in the IDF. And if Israeli society – and the IDF – want to see ultra-Orthodox enlistment in significant numbers, then significant adjustments must be made within the army culture.
When haredi parents and rabbinic leaders witness national-religious youth leaving their religion behind after completing their army service, they tend to oppose the draft of their ultra-Orthodox children. On the other hand, if they could be assured that their sons would complete their service as they entered – observant, ultra-Orthodox Jews – there would be more grassroots support for this change.
Not to oversimplify, but the adjustments seem obvious: Recognize the religious and cultural sensitivities of the ultra-Orthodox and create an atmosphere that would encourage them rather than turn them away. The sooner we create an environment that genuinely respects the values of the ultra-Orthodox, the sooner, I believe, we will witness an influx of soldiers from this sector.
What's holding the IDF back from investing in changes?
The real question is this: Is the IDF genuinely interested in a massive influx of ultra-Orthodox soldiers, and are they truly invested in making the necessary changes? If so, what’s holding them back?
The current war has brought this issue to the forefront. The Supreme Court has been bouncing around and politicizing the haredi draft debate for more than 20 years, throwing out all possible legislative compromises and making matters worse. Rather than promoting cooperation, they created more societal friction and resentment, which, I believe, was politically motivated at the expense of the good of the people.
Case in point: At the beginning of the war, for the first time, haredi soldiers felt comfortable and even proud to wear their uniforms in public on the streets of their communities. However, that feeling of support and pride disappeared when the draft law issue returned to the headline news, bashing and delegitimizing young haredi men for not joining the IDF.
AS AN IDF reserve soldier for over 30 years, I have seen firsthand that more ultra-Orthodox men are serving, slowly but surely, and more are joining the IDF every day. However, the hurdles they often face within the system are rarely acknowledged or addressed.
Several key adjustments, such as gender-separate bases and higher kashrut certification, are necessary for a significant number of haredi men to integrate into the IDF with the support of their families and rabbis.
When the IDF makes these adjustments, rabbis from the national religious hesder yeshiva program (combining Talmud study with army service) and many mechinot (pre-military academies) will demand the same conditions so that national-religious draftees will no longer have to compromise their values to serve in the IDF.
However, once the IDF adopts these adjustments, expect an outcry from the very same camp that has complained the loudest for years about the lack of a haredi draft. The Left will likely be the first to complain, arguing that these adjustments compromise values such as equality and feminism in the army.
These same progressives can no longer ignore how they bend over backward to ensure the IDF accommodates transgender draftees with separate showers yet are adamantly against accommodating the sensitivities of religious soldiers.
In the end, I believe the integration of the ultra-Orthodox into the army will happen. Yet the irony is almost too perfect. The Jewish character of the IDF will be strengthened rather than eroded, and the very people pushing for this change may ultimately regret it.
With that said, let’s honor every IDF soldier, regardless of community or gender, for the holy work they continue to do every day on behalf of Israel, the Jewish people, and the entire free world.
The writer is the host of the Pulse of Israel daily video/podcast and the CEO of 12Tribe Films Foundation.