Shas Party Leader Arieh Deri Declines to Urge Haredi Draft, Says IDF Can Manage

Arieh Deri, the chairman of the Shas party, stated that he does not need to call on ultra-Orthodox men who do not study Torah to enlist in the IDF, asserting that the military "knows how to deal with it." Deri's remarks come despite the IDF's efforts to facilitate the enlistment of tens of thousands of Haredim, including the establishment of a dedicated Haredi infantry brigade, the Hasmonean Brigade. Deri argued that the IDF prefers a secular army and does not want soldiers who follow rabbis, suggesting that the current push for enlistment stems from a perceived shortage of soldiers for border defense following the IDF's shift to a "small and technological army."

Deri further claimed that the integration of Haredim into the IDF is not dependent on him, but rather on the decision of rabbis after the status of Torah scholars is settled. He criticized a proposal by Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Israel Resilience Party, to draft a portion of Haredi men while allowing others to continue their studies, questioning the authority to decide who studies and who serves. Deri emphasized Shas's commitment to protecting the right of those who wish to study Torah to do so.

When asked about advice for a Haredi man not studying Torah, Deri began to say that "as long as there are no real tracks" in the army, but was interrupted. He deferred to "the great rabbis of Israel" for details on specific military tracks like the Hasmonean Brigade.

Official figures indicate a rise in Haredi enlistment, with 4,298 enlisting in 2025 compared to 2,811 the previous year. The Attorney General informed the High Court of Justice that this increase is attributed to sanctions against draft dodgers and tailored military tracks, yet approximately 80% of all draft dodgers remain Haredi.

Reactions from other political figures were sharp. Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Yamina party, accused Deri of harming IDF soldiers and lying, stating that Deri would not be part of a future "Zionist government" based on a "covenant of service." Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, called Deri the "number one encourager of draft evasion in Israel," suggesting that the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef would be turning in his grave over Deri's stance.