by Yonah Jeremy Bob, Eliav Breuer, Jerusalem Post Staff, Maariv
Only a few of the 1,000 haredim summoned for IDF recruitment showed up, amid intense protests and legal challenges.
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Only dozens out of 1,000 haredim who were sent draft notices for Monday and Tuesday actually showed up to IDF recruitment offices, The Jerusalem Post confirmed on Tuesday, marking the historic first batch of haredi call-ups as a near-failure.
The IDF has not yet provided official numbers, probably embarrassed by the result, but the numbers speak for themselves.
Some defense officials claim that many more haredim (ultra-Orthodox) had originally planned to show for their draft date, maybe as high as 50%, but that the intimidation both in the general online and public spheres as well as physical intimidation by haredi protesters near the recruitment offices scared most of them away.
Other observers say that the defense establishment was kidding itself and that without buy-in from more top haredi rabbis and political officials, all of the IDF attempts at haredi-centric public relations were always doomed to fall flat, along with the draft numbers.
Hundreds of haredi men showed up in protest in front of the recruitment office at the base on Monday and again on Tuesday, chanting, “We will die and not enlist.”
At one point, protesters began throwing bottles at the police, who surrounded the area with barriers and trucks to prevent access from the parking lot to the base gate.
Police clash with protesters over haredi recruitment
Border Police and the Israel Police forcefully attempted to disperse the crowd on horseback.
Some demonstrators managed to enter the Tel Hashomer base from a side entrance, as security forces rushed towards them and began arresting protesters.
The IDF responded to the protests and break-in, calling it a “serious offense against the law.”
“In the last few hours, dozens of protesters tried to break into the Tel Hashomer base during demonstrations held outside the base.
“Breaking into IDF bases is a serious offense and against the law. The IDF condemns the violent behavior and insists that justice must be brought forth against the perpetrators.” the IDF said.
“Recruiting ultra-Orthodox is a necessary operational necessity, takes place in accordance with the law, and we are determined to continue promoting it,” the IDF said.
THE HIGH Court of Justice in June ordered the IDF to immediately draft haredim in large numbers, with the IDF committing to drafting 3,000 haredim, and to sending out 3,000 summons in spurts of 1,000 each every two weeks over a six-week period starting in mid-July and going into mid to late August.
Monday and Tuesday were the dates that the first 1,000 summoned haredim were due to show up at three recruitment centers specially tailored to their needs, including only male recruitment officers.
Top IDF officials had said that they might need to issue between 6,000 to 24,000 summons to get 3,000 haredim to actually show up, but based on the very limited progress this week, even 24,000 summons might only garner half or less of the minimum the IDF committed to the High Court.
Yonah Jeremy Bob, Eliav Breuer, Jerusalem Post Staff, Maariv
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-813590
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