Smotrich Promises Reservist Benefits but Lacks Clear Plan for Immediate Haredi Draft
Last week, Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a reservists' conference, promoting a plan to reduce reservist service days and expand manpower with various benefits. However, attendance was low, and critics argue the plan misses key elements necessary to truly ease the military burden. Smotrich emphasized benefits for reservists, many already in place, but failed to address sanctions against draft dodgers or the ongoing exemptions granted to the Haredi community.
Central to Smotrich's remarks was the issue of Haredi conscription. He advocated for long-term educational and preparatory frameworks but insisted on immediate drafting of Haredi men, rejecting the notion of waiting for voluntary enlistment. The plan lacks specific targets or timelines for Haredi recruitment, despite widespread recognition that current political and economic incentives reduce motivation to serve.
Regarding manpower, Smotrich proposed reinstating 50,000 reservists, but military officials note that nearly 70,000 have already returned, and further recruitment is challenging. Experts stress that expanding the standing army is crucial, as each regular battalion can relieve multiple reservist units. Since 92% of regular recruits come from the general Jewish population, the Haredi sector, which constitutes about a quarter of the Jewish birth cohort, remains the key untapped resource.
Smotrich, also serving as Finance Minister, is aware of the high costs of reservist service compared to regular enlistment. Meanwhile, the military is actively increasing combat assignments and creating new reservist frameworks to distribute the security burden more evenly. The minister’s promise to limit reservist service to 30 days annually by 2027 is viewed as unrealistic without immediate structural changes.
Critics argue Smotrich’s delay in implementing tougher draft enforcement and sanctions during wartime was unnecessary and that his prior support for laws enabling draft evasion contradicts his current stance. They call on him to lead with clear, practical demands aligned with Jewish law and national security, including mandatory Haredi conscription, sanctions for evasion, and conditioning state benefits on service. Supporting preparatory institutions should complement, not replace, immediate drafting efforts. The article concludes that it is not too late for Smotrich to correct course and address these fundamental issues.
