The IDF Spokesman, Daniel Hagari, disclosed on Saturday night that over 2,000 haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men have expressed their desire to join the IDF immediately due to the ongoing war. "We plan to draft them into the army in the upcoming week," he stated.
Dr. Nechumi Yaffe, a public policy professor at Tel Aviv University and head of the Tatia haredi think-tank, elucidated this trend to The Jerusalem Post on Saturday. "Prior to the war, our data indicated that 23% of haredim could be classified as modern haredim.
Additionally, 27% of the staunchly ultra-Orthodox Israelis, who are deeply rooted in the mainstream of these communities, have been seeking ways to assimilate further into the Israeli identity," Yaffe explained.
She mentioned examples like joining the military or taking roles in state institutions and agencies. "A significant number of haredim are aiming to assimilate into the Israeli identity, and their perspective is: 'We don’t want to feel estranged from the Israeli narrative.' The current spike in the number of haredim eager to enlist in the IDF amid this war mirrors that sentiment," she remarked.
Yaffe also pointed out a growing inclination among the haredim to enlist in the IDF. Recent data from Tatia revealed that 68% of haredim support military enlistment, while 60% believe that the haredi community should contribute to the state, especially during wartime.
"On the whole, we've observed a substantial rise in the percentage of those wanting to aid in the war effort and align with the Israeli identity," she highlighted.
Hareidi women take part
In collaboration with the Kikar HaShabbat news site and Tatia, Yaffe launched an initiative titled "Brothers to the Front – The Central haredi Emergency Management Unit." She shared, "Merely ten minutes after the conclusion of the Simchat Torah holiday, I reached out to other influential haredi women, with whom I've previously coordinated projects, to form a unit.
This unit has since supported the Israeli home front through food and equipment donations and has also implemented a system assisting families during funerals and the mourning period (shivah)."
Additionally, they assembled a team dedicated to procuring and distributing goods and equipment worth millions, funded by international donors. This includes items like body armor, helmets, and other military essentials.