Hundreds of Israelis march to demand all citizens share burden of IDF service

Hundreds of Israelis join a march demanding universal enlistment in the IDF, calling for all citizens to share the burden of military service. The initiative is promoted by bereaved families and leading reservist organizations, including El HaDegel, the Forum of Reservist Wives, Shotafut LeSherut, and the Religious Zionist Forum of Reservists.

“This march is meant to show our elected officials that the Zionist bloc, which serves Israel unconditionally, knows how to unite in ensuring the country has a strong army where everyone plays a part,” Lt. Col. (res.) Yitzhaki Glick, co-founder of El HaDegel said in a statement ahead of the march.

The march began at the Castel National Heritage Site, a strategic hill west of Jerusalem that saw some of the fiercest battles of the Independence War.

The rally takes place amid a deep social and political crisis, as the ultra-Orthodox community refuses to relinquish the blanket military exemptions its young men have received for decades. In June, the High Court of Justice ruled that these exemptions could no longer be extended and that the IDF must begin drafting Haredi 18-year-olds. However, ultra-Orthodox parties — key members of the governing coalition — have resisted any compromise to implement the ruling.

The government, for its part, has shown little political will to resolve the issue, even as Israel remains embroiled in a prolonged war triggered by Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023, attack. With the IDF stretched thin on multiple fronts, the demand for soldiers, especially in combat positions, has significantly intensified in the past 18 months.

Currently, approximately 66,000 Haredi men between the ages of 18 and 24 have secured exemptions from military service.

“My son Saadia believed that God entrusted him with guarding his people, his city, and his land,” says bereaved mother Laly Derai, who has become a prominent face of the movement promoting equal enlistment since her son fell in Gaza in June 2024. “I continue in his path, marching with bereaved families, reservists, and their families.”

“Everyone is needed! The people of Israel expect it from you; our beloved land cries out for your protection, and our beloved Torah needs you!” she adds, in a direct appeal to the ultra-Orthodox men who have been avoiding serving in the military.