IDF Chief Zamir praises rise in ultra-Orthodox military enlistment after 4,000 join ranks

Israel’s army chief praised the recent increase in the enlistment of the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) into the Israel Defense Forces during a meeting with troops of the Haredi Hasmonean Brigade at the northern border on Wednesday.

Speaking to troops of the “Jonathan” Battalion of the Hasmonean Brigade, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said, “We are seeing an increase in the enlistment of the ultra-Orthodox into the IDF—both in combat roles and combat support roles. We must continue to replicate the Jonathan Battalion and develop the Hasmonean Brigade into a full combat brigade.”

“We will continue moving forward toward one shared goal. I am proud of you and have full confidence in you,” he assured the soldiers.

Ynet News reported this week that over the past year, 4,000 ultra-Orthodox men joined the military, 1,000 of them in combat roles—a marked increase from the previous year, when only 2,800 joined.

However, this still falls significantly short of exploiting the full potential of each annual cohort, which includes an estimated 14,000 young men.

“In recent years there has been a significant increase in Haredi enlistment to the military,” a senior official in the IDF’s Personnel Directorate told Ynet.

“We would like to see more combat soldiers among those 4,000 recruits, and not only about 1,000, but the trend is positive. On the other hand, these figures must not be misleading: there is enormous enlistment potential in Haredi society, and it must be fully realized. We intend to act to achieve that.”

The IDF says there is a shortage of about 7,500 combat soldiers and a similar number of combat support personnel, caused by losses during the war where more than 950 soldiers have been killed, and thousands more were wounded.

“We are in a decisive period and continue to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously,” Zamir told the troops. “One of the lessons we learned from the October 7th massacre is that the IDF must grow, expand, and become stronger. We must increase our reinforcements and build more battalions and brigades capable of operating, defeating the enemy, and defending the State of Israel.”

In this context, he praised the newly-founded Hasmonean Brigade, which was specifically set up to enable Haredi soldiers to maintain their way of life during military service.

Zamir compared the Jonathan battalion to Nachshon Ben Amminadav, who, according to Jewish tradition, “was the first to step into the [Red] sea and pave the way for the entire people” after Moses parted the waves.

“That is how you will be remembered in the history of our nation. As those who first broke new ground, your actions are making it possible to expand the enlistment of the ultra-Orthodox,” Zamir said.

He also stressed that “Our goal is to enable you to serve in the IDF while maintaining your way of life... Your integration into the IDF is vital to the security of the State of Israel and the entire people of Israel. It is important to me that you preserve your faith and way of life while fulfilling the commandment of defending the State of Israel. It is equally important to me that we uphold every commitment we have made to you. I am aware of the challenges, but this is a national, Jewish, and historic mission.”

Zamir’s statements followed after the High Court ruled to extend the freeze imposed on a law that proposed to halt the arrests of Haredi draft dodgers for seven months, which had been sharply criticized by the military.

The court said in an interim order that the freeze would remain but promised a final ruling would come “soon.”

The court had issued a temporary injunction against the law within 24 hours of its passing, pointing to concerns that the law was discriminatory, since it only benefited Haredi draft dodgers and not others who evade military service.