IDF aims to recruit 10,000 ultra-Orthodox men in 2025 but less than 14% have enlisted so far

Approximately 10,000 ultra-Orthodox men are expected to be recruited into the military in 2025, Israel Defense Forces told the High Court. The statement was made in response to a petition filed by several NGOs calling for the full enforcement of the court ruling that annulled the exemption for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.

The IDF’s detailed statement was part of the government’s response to the petition, presented by embattled Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Her main point was that starting in 2026, there would no longer be any obstacles preventing the army from recruiting eligible Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men.

The IDF agreed with this assessment, stating that in approximately a year and a half, it will have the necessary infrastructure in place to recruit Haredi men while accommodating their unique needs, such as their strict requirements for kosher food.

The military said it expects to recruit some 4,800 Haredi men in the 2024 recruitment year, which ends on June 30, 2025. In the next year, absorption capacity is expected to increase by 20%. Starting in the summer of 2026, there will be no further absorption limits.

Since last year’s court decision mandated the state to begin recruiting Haredi men, around 10,000 summonses have been issued. Among the first 3,000 summoned, only 413 recruits reported to the IDF’s recruitment centers, and just 249 completed the initial recruitment process.

In the past few days, an additional 7,000 recruitment orders were distributed, though the deadline to report to the army has not yet passed. Meanwhile, the IDF issued a second recruitment order to approximately 2,600 men who had ignored the initial summons and issued arrest warrants for 1,200 of them.

According to initial statistics, 916 Haredi soldiers were recruited in the first trimester of the recruitment year. This includes ultra-Orthodox men who didn’t fall in the category of previously exempt yeshiva students or who voluntarily showed up for military service.

Compared to previous years, this represents an increase of approximately 500 soldiers; however, the numbers still fall short of the goal of enlisting 1,300 recruits during this period.

Even though the rate of recruitment has increased, it still falls short of the target of 1,300 recruits set for the period from July to October 2024.

In her statement, Baharav-Miara reiterated that the IDF needs a substantial increase in soldiers due to the current security situation, underscoring the necessity of Haredi recruitment for national security.

“It is important to clarify that the security need is first and foremost for soldiers in combat roles,” she wrote. “In any case, both in relation to combat roles and in relation to other roles, the IDF has developed unique pathways for this population.”

Most of the Haredi soldiers will join special ultra-Orthodox units, including the newly-created Hasmonean Brigade, which welcomed its first recruits last week.