Shas Party Leader Aryeh Deri: IDF Should Handle Non-Torah Students' Draft

Aryeh Deri, the chairman of the Shas party, stated in a radio interview on Thursday that he does not need to call on young Haredim who do not study Torah to enlist in the IDF, asserting that the military should manage the issue itself. "The army that knows how to bomb in Iran knows how to deal with them, let it deal with them," Deri said in an interview with Kol Barama radio, adding, "But it doesn't want Haredi soldiers."

Deri argued that the IDF prefers a secular army and does not want soldiers who follow their rabbis, claiming that attempts to draft Haredim over the years have been superficial. He suggested that the current manpower shortage in the army, revealed by the recent conflict, has led to a sudden need for more soldiers to guard the borders.

He also criticized the lack of "real Haredi tracks" within the military, stating he had not investigated the specific Haredi "Hasmonean Unit." Deri insisted that the army must first settle the status of Torah scholars before attempting to draft Haredi youth.

In response, Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, accused Deri of becoming "Israel's number one encourager of draft evasion" and of acting against the IDF. Lieberman stated that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the late spiritual leader of Shas, would be "turning in his grave" over Deri's actions.

Despite the controversy, the article notes a significant increase in Haredi enlistment. In August, over 500 Haredi men enlisted, with about 300 as combat soldiers, a rise from 375 the previous year. Over the past year, approximately 4,300 Haredim have enlisted, a sharp increase from 2,800 the year before, and significantly higher than the pre-war average of 1,700 annually. However, these numbers remain low compared to the potential pool of 14,000 eligible Haredi youth each year, with the majority not enlisting, while the IDF faces a severe shortage of soldiers.