Majority of Israeli military reservists say IDF can’t afford to exempt ultra-Orthodox from service

A whopping 77% of IDF reservists believe the State of Israel can no longer afford to exempt the ultra-Orthodox male population from military service, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Dialogue Institute and the “Shoulder to Shoulder” organization.

The poll, which surveyed approximately 800 reservists from diverse backgrounds, revealed that mainstream Israeli society views the current 'status quo,' in which ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service, as unsustainable amid the multiple security threats Israel faces following the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack.

Jonathan Shilo, a co-founder of “Shoulder to Shoulder,” summarized the main result of the poll.

“The world for all of us changed on October 7,” Shilo assessed. “We are fighting shoulder to shoulder for the state.”

“The exemption law for the ultra-Orthodox harms state security and creates a genuine fracture in Israeli society,” Shilo warned, as it also undermines the motivation of the mainstream Israeli population to serve in the IDF.

Nearly half of the respondents (45%), indicated that a legal exemption for ultra-Orthodox individuals from military service would negatively impact their own motivation to continue serving in reserve duty in the future."

While Israeli society is often politically divided, the poll suggests there is a wide consensus across the political spectrum on the issue of ultra-Orthodox military enlistment. Approximately 65% of religious respondents and 76% of right-wing IDF reservists believe that ultra-Orthodox men need to be drafted.

Furthermore, almost three-quarters of the respondents (73%), believe laws that fail to significantly increase ultra-Orthodox military enlistment contradict Israel’s Zionist ethos, which emphasizes the principle of defending the Jewish state.

A solution to the problem has become even more pressing as the Israeli military has indicated it needs more manpower to defend itself against the multiple threats from Iran's regional terror proxies. While a small and growing minority of ultra-Orthodox men serve in the IDF, the overwhelming majority currently do not serve on ideological and political grounds.

In June, IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Col. Herzi Halevi emphasized that the Israeli military needs more combat soldiers.

"The IDF needs more fighters," Halevi told IDF soldiers who belong to the largely ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) IDF Netzah Yehuda Battalion.

He called for a significant increase in the number of ultra-Orthodox drafted and those who volunteered to serve, noting that there is no contradiction between military service and religious observance.

"We want you to show that it's possible to be a Haredi fighter, to study and protect the state's security. Continue doing a good job, protecting the residents here and also being a pioneer – Haredi fighters, each one as he defines himself," Halevi stated.

The Israeli military has around 170,000 active personnel, according to Global Firepower, a website that assesses the militaries of the world. In addition, the IDF has approximately 465,000 male and female reservists.