JERUSALEM — The IDF has begun gathering information from the income tax authorities regarding young charedim at draft age who are currently working and receive a salary slip.
A report by Israel’s Kan news outlet stated that the IDF intends at the first stage to send draft notices to these youths. It is estimated that the IDF will attempt to reach the quota of 3000 charedim per year without getting into a direct conflict with the yeshivos.
The current initiative is due to last week’s high court ruling that there is currently no legal framework allowing the IDF to distinguish between yeshiva students and others who are required to enlist. The judges did not express their opinion about how their ruling should be implemented – how many draft notices should be sent, but Attorney-General Baharav-Miara sent directives to the defense ministry urging that 3000 charedim should immediately be drafted.
A Defense Ministry committee which recently surveyed charedi youth claimed that a large proportion of them could be drafted, since 13% are not studying and not working, 39% are working, 19% are working and learning and only 29% are exclusively studying Torah. The survey recommended opening pre-army preparatory courses of between two weeks and a month to try and encourage charedi youth who are not studying in yeshiva to enlist in the IDF.
As reported by VINnews