Overview
- The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee released the full draft and scheduled three days of hearings next week.
- The proposal imposes annual targets for recruits from graduates of the Haredi education system, with conflicting reports on the initial goal of 6,160 or 8,160 and a first recruitment period that runs through June 30, 2027.
- Service would also include certain national civilian roles in Prime Minister’s Office auxiliary units, and a Haredi individual is defined by study in religious institutions from ages 14 to 18.
- Failure to meet targets would trigger steep funding cuts to yeshivot of up to 80% and personal penalties such as driver’s-license suspension, loss of scholarships, travel restrictions, and reduced housing benefits.
- The draft requires IDF service tracks tailored for Haredi recruits, creates a semiannual advisory review mechanism, and provides for automatic expiration if targets are missed in three consecutive cycles.