Haredi draft dodgers arrests ineffective, waste of resources, IDF manpower head says

Arrested military draft evaders are still managing to get out of enlisting thanks to large loopholes, making efforts to detain them a waste of resources, the head of the IDF’s Personnel Directorate tells lawmakers.

“These arrests bring people to detention centers, [but] they do not enlist because we have loopholes the size of gates in a fence: There are psychiatrists and an army of lawyers who arrange what is called ‘the exemption,'” Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa tells the Knesset’s State Control Committee.

He says arrests are expected to ramp up as more Haredi men attempt to fly to Uman, Ukraine, for an annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. Over two dozen suspected draft dodgers were reportedly arrested on Monday at Ben Gurion Airport while trying to make the journey.

Bar Kalifa says Military Police units are being sent to handle arrests of draft dodgers instead of carrying out security-related tasks like blocking roads leading to the Gaza Strip. “You’ve invested all your resources but brought nothing,” he complains.

He notes that the arrests of Haredi draft dodgers also creates issues for the police, who must deal with protests and attempts to block roads in their wake.

“The police asked us to recruit seven Border Police reserve companies, and at the same time, we will continue to enforce and coordinate with the authorities,” Bar Kalifa says.

“We have no desire to have arrests. We want soldiers,” he adds.

The army has repeatedly stated that it is facing a manpower shortage and currently needs some 12,000 new soldiers — 7,000 of whom would be combat troops.