Netzach Yehuda CEO demands major changes to Haredi draft bill in letter to Bismuth

Yossi Levi, head of an NGO supporting Haredi soldiers, is urging MK Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, to implement significant changes to Israel’s draft conscription bill, highlighting the law’s failure to recognize Haredi hesder yeshivas.

Levi’s Netzach Yehuda NGO supports the Netzach Yehuda Battalion, established more than 25 years ago to enable Haredi men to serve as combat soldiers. Hesder yeshivas, primarily attended by young men from the religious Zionist community, combine Torah study with shortened military service.

In a letter to Bismuth, Levi calls for a balanced framework that addresses Israel’s security needs while respecting the Haredi way of life. He criticizes the current bill for lacking a structured plan for integrating Haredim into the IDF, describing it as largely declarative and difficult to implement.

The NGO’s proposed amendments include binding recruitment targets, with at least 30 percent of Haredi recruits assigned to combat units; civil-security service beginning only at age 22; and adaptations within the IDF, including a dedicated Haredi platoon, a separate recruitment office and formal spiritual guidance.

Levi also emphasizes the need for an official government plan for Haredi conscription, modeled on the proven programs used to integrate Haredim into civilian employment.