The Minister of Defense Israel Katz rejected a request from military officials regarding the extension of mandatory service for students from Hesder yeshivas. In such a yeshiva, students generally undergo a period as full-time students for Torah study, followed by a shortened period of military service, and then a return to another period of time studying Torah.
The minister was asked to extend the service of students from Hesder yeshivas, who currently serve for one year and five months, by four months. He held several discussions on the matter but ultimately decided to reject the request.
The issue of soldier shortages in the IDF has been raised many times recently. Former Chief of Staff Deputy Major General Amir Baram said last October that „the recruitment of haredim is an operational necessity“ due to personnel shortages.
Baram, who currently serves as the director of the Ministry of Defense, stated at that time: „The IDF needs greater capabilities to deal with the security situation that has arisen. There is a shortage of soldiers. Recruiting haredim is not just an issue of equality in the burden, it is also an operational necessity.“
