IDF says after 10,000 draft orders sent to ultra-Orthodox, only 177 enlisted

Speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, a senior IDF officer in charge of encouraging ultra-Orthodox enlistment says that of around 10,000 draft orders sent to Haredim since the summer, only 177 have so far enlisted in the military.

The IDF sent out 10,000 initial draft orders to members of the Haredi community in several waves between July 2024 and this month.

Lt. Col. Avigdor Dickstein tells the committee that 2,231 second draft orders were sent to those who did not show up at induction centers after receiving a first order.

Over 1,000 “arrest warrants” have been issued against those who ignored the second draft order. The IDF Military Police does not plan to actually carry out arrests, but will instead wait until they are declared “draft evaders” and leave it to law enforcement.

After receiving an arrest warrant, those recruits will receive an immediate call-up order, and if they ignore it, will be declared as draft evaders. The consequences of being declared a draft evader include receiving a “no exit order” — being barred from leaving the country — and during any encounter with the police, the draft dodger can be arrested.

So far, 265 Haredim out of the 10,000 have been declared draft evaders, Dickstein says.