By Palestine Chronicle Staff 
The opposition leader said that if they refuse to enlist ‘they should not receive budgets, they should not get passports, and they should not be allowed to travel to Uman (Ukraine).’
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Sunday to block government funding to ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi) who refuse military service and halting the issuance of passports for them, Anadolu News Agency reported.
Speaking to Israel’s Army Radio, Lapid said, “The recruitment of Haredi is a matter of values, and they must enlist.”
“If they do not, they should not receive budgets, they should not get passports, and they should not be allowed to travel to Uman (Ukraine),” he added, referencing the annual pilgrimage ultra-Orthodox Jews make to celebrate the Jewish New Year.
Lapid’s comments came as clashes erupted between Israeli police and Haredi demonstrators in Tel Aviv.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the unrest followed the distribution of 1,000 new draft orders to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men by the Israeli army on Sunday.
Hundreds of protesters reportedly blocked Route 4 in all directions near Bnei Brak, a predominantly Haredi town east of Tel Aviv.
Demonstrators demanded the revocation of the draft orders, describing them as an “assault on their traditions and way of life,” according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
Haredi Draft Continues – 7,000 Ultra-Orthodox Jews Called to Service
Persistent Challenge
The Israeli Defense Ministry announced on November 15 that it plans to draft 7,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military, with the process set to begin this weekend, Anadolu reported.
The draft orders will be issued gradually, starting on Sunday, following evaluations by the Israeli military, according to a ministry statement.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated his intention to hold discussions with stakeholders to reach a settlement that integrates the Haredim into the military while respecting their religious practices.
While the statement did not detail how these accommodations would be achieved, Katz emphasized the military’s commitment to creating “a supportive environment, allowing religious Jews to fulfill their military duties while preserving their religious lifestyle,” Anadolu reported.
The recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military has long been a contentious issue in Israel, with tensions heightened by the ongoing war on Gaza.
On November 4, the Israeli military issued approximately 720 arrest warrants for ultra-Orthodox individuals who failed to comply with recruitment orders, according to the Israeli news site Calcalist.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for denying public funding, passports, and travel privileges to ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse military service, stressing the need for equal conscription obligations for all Israelis.#Palestine https://t.co/Q1CFTl2uYA
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 17, 2024
The push for Haredi enlistment is reportedly driven by a severe shortage of soldiers caused by the prolonged conflict, high casualty rates, and the military’s need to expand annual recruitment by approximately 10,000 soldiers.
Despite these efforts, enlistment rates among ultra-Orthodox youth remain low, raising doubts about achieving the target of 4,800 recruits per year.
In June, Israel’s Supreme Court mandated the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military and prohibited financial aid to religious institutions whose students refused to enlist.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 43,799 Palestinians have been killed, and 103,601 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
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Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, Anadolu)
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