IDF reports rise in ultra-Orthodox recruits in latest draft cycle, amid manpower shortage

The IDF says 433 ultra-Orthodox recruits enlisted in designated military service tracks during the April-May draft cycle, including a record 272 combat soldiers.

Over 79,000 conscription orders have been issued to ultra-Orthodox men since the High Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that they were obligated to enlist, after the law allowing for blanket exemptions expired the previous year.

According to the military, today’s figure marks an approximate 24 percent increase compared to the same recruitment period last year. The IDF also says the ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade reached a new record with 96 new combat recruits.

The military says combat training programs for ultra-Orthodox recruits are now operating at their largest scale in the past three years, while emphasizing that the army remains prepared to absorb significantly larger numbers in line with operational needs.

Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, head of the IDF Personnel Directorate’s Planning and Personnel Management Division, says many of the new recruits are “pioneers within their families and communities,” emphasizing that the military is continuing efforts to absorb Haredi recruits “while fully preserving their way of life.”

He also stresses that the military’s operational needs “are far greater” and require broader enlistment from all sectors of Israeli society.

The IDF has repeatedly said it urgently needs 12,000 recruits – including 7,000 combat troops – due to the strain on standing and reserve forces caused by the multi-front war of recent years.

Some 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged 18 to 24 are currently believed to be eligible for military service but have not enlisted.