IDF confirms planned early enlistment of some 1,300 recruits

The army will hold an early recruitment in March of some 1,300 Israelis currently enrolled in pre-army, yeshiva and community service programs, the IDF and Defense Ministry announce in a joint statement.

Most of the Israelis are slated to finish their programs at the end of the academic year in June and then enlist sometime after that, depending on their IDF track. The announcement confirms previous reports that discussions on the matter between IDF officials and the administrators of pre-army programs have taken place.

The purpose of the early recruitment “is to strengthen combat units in light of the needs of battle… against the backdrop of the war, the turnover of casualties and the necessity to fill the ranks and expand combat forces,” the statement says.

The recruitment will be done in conjunction with the various program organizations to minimize any harm to the programs and candidates, who potentially could miss out on certain military tracks because they enlist early.

About 850 trainees will be recruited from the pre-army and service year programs, and about 450 more from yeshivas, with an emphasis on those already slated to enlist this year, the statement says. Potential candidates who were evacuated from their homes due to the Israel-Hamas war will not be recruited early.

There are hundreds of pre-army academies in Israel, with over 4,000 students. Acceptance is highly competitive and can involve a lengthy application process. Many pre-army academy students go on to join elite commando units, undergo officer training, or fill other high-level roles in the army.

High school graduates who join service year programs engage in volunteer work of various kinds, in some cases with Jewish communities abroad.