Halevi: Military seeks troops ‘from all parts of Israeli society’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says in his press briefing tonight that the military has always sought conscripts and troops “from all parts of Israeli society.”

Regarding plans by the IDF to lengthen the amount of time conscripts and reservists serve in the army, but not force ultra-Orthodox men to be drafted, Halevi says that “in these challenging days, one thing is very clear: everyone should be drafted to protect the home.”

“This is a different period, and what was before needs to be examined a second time. We are now advancing immediate recruitment solutions, to fill our ranks, in light of the continuation of the fighting,” he says.

“The IDF has always sought to bring [troops] into its ranks from all parts of Israeli society. This war illustrates the need to change. We have a historic opportunity to expand the sources of recruitment for the IDF at a time when the necessity is very high,” says Halevi, possibly referring to the ultra-Orthodox and Arab sectors.

“We will know how to produce the solutions and the conditions — the right ones for each population that will join this noble mission,” he says.