Israel to send 54,000 draft notices to ultra-Orthodox students
Israel will issue 54,000 draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary (yeshiva) students, and the IDF is preparing to step up measures against draft dodgers.
This was reported by Reuters and the Jerusalem Post.
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, 25,000 personal initial draft notices are to be sent out in the first phase. The goal is 54,000 draft notices by the end of the summer. The draft dates will be set in the next 12 months.
Among the 54,000 called were Orthodox of all ages, mostly around 26 years old.
The IDF is demanding that the government impose sanctions on draft dodgers. They said they currently have 250-300 prison beds available to arrest draft dodgers, both Orthodox and from other communities. The IDF says it can expand the number of prison beds if necessary.
The Jerusalem Post suggests that such numbers would still be small compared to the number of potential draft dodgers, but still far exceed the number of draft dodgers arrested in the past.
How will draft dodgers be sought in Israel?
According to media reports, the IDF will search for draft dodgers by checking airports, checkpoints and other random checks in areas where draft dodgers are likely to occur. Roadblocks are planned to be set up on roads and at the entrances to populated areas throughout the country.
In addition, the process of recognizing a draft evader will be shortened: a person who does not respond to three summonses will be considered a draft evader 12 days after receiving the third summons.
Recall that a decision by Israel's Supreme Court last year overturned a multi-year exemption from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jewish students.
Military service is mandatory for most Israeli Jews starting at age 18 and lasts 24-32 months, with additional reserve duty in subsequent years. Members of the 21% of Israel's Arab population are mostly exempt, although some still serve.
Previously, we wrote about the differences between mobilization in Ukraine and Israel, whether there are draft dodgers, “busification,” and who has a deferment.
