IDF examining claims it’s employing Haredi draft dodgers to clean kitchens ahead of Passover

By Sam Sokol 24 February 2026, 10:48 am

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Ultra-Orthodox Jews on their way to attend the "million man" protest against IDF conscription, in Jerusalem, October 30, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The IDF says it will investigate an Army Radio report that says it is employing ultra-Orthodox draft evaders to prepare military bases for the upcoming Passover holiday.

According to Army Radio, the military hired the workers through outside companies without looking into their legal status. Some of the yeshiva students have had arrest warrants issued against them. In a statement to Army Radio, the IDF says that it “views the matter with gravity and it will be examined.”

“We note that no details were provided regarding specific cases. Should such cases come to light, they will be handled,” the IDF adds, while the Defense Ministry simply says that “the claims will be examined.”

Some 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged between 18 and 24 are currently believed to be eligible for military service, but have not enlisted. The Israel Defense Forces has said it urgently needs 12,000 recruits due to the strain on standing and reserve forces caused by the war against Hamas in Gaza and other military challenges.

Up to 80 percent of Israelis classified as draft evaders hail from the ultra-Orthodox community, Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, head of the IDF Personnel Directorate’s Planning and Personnel Management Division, told lawmakers last month.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, 75,675 Israelis have either been designated as evaders or have received an order known as Tzav 12, which means they are barred from leaving the country and can be arrested during any encounter with the police.

For the past two years, the Haredi leadership has pushed for a law keeping its constituency out of the IDF, after the High Court ruled long-standing exemptions illegal.