Top Rabbis Warn Against New IDF Recruitment Tracks for Haredim

The Council of Torah Sages, a leading authority for many ultra-Orthodox Jews, has issued a strong directive against new IDF recruitment programs targeting the Haredi community. In a rare, unified letter signed by all its members, including prominent Rebbes from Ger, Belz, Vizhnitz, and Sanz, the council declared that participation in any such tracks is forbidden.

The letter explicitly names programs like "Kukod" and "Ma'alot Tzur," warning that their "common denominator is the desire to change the essence and spirit of the Haredi public." The council asserts these initiatives pose a "real danger to the spirit of faithful Judaism" and urges followers to "stay away from their path."

The directive comes amid internal political tensions within the Agudat Yisrael party. A new faction, "Torat Chomat Yisrael," led by Meir Porush and Elikim Stark, has emerged, intending to run within the United Torah Judaism list but without the Ger and Vizhnitz factions. This has led to sharp disputes between senior Agudat Yisrael officials and the Shlomei Emunim faction.

Sources within Agudat Yisrael claim Porush and Stark are ending the "dictatorial conduct" of Ger activists, while Ger maintains the new party is independent and no longer subject to the movement's institutions or the Council of Torah Sages. A tense meeting in Netanya saw Ger representatives demand written commitments from Sanz representatives, which Sanz refused, stating their allegiance is solely to the Council of Torah Sages and the Sanz Rebbe.

The Council of Torah Sages has convened several times recently, including a meeting where the Rebbe of Bialla joined as a new member. This latest pronouncement is expected to create significant controversy and reshape the Haredi community's stance against perceived attempts to alter its religious character.