Israel: army eyes recruitment of Jewish diaspora

Israel is considering the launch of a campaign to recruit young Jews from diaspora communities worldwide, in response to extreme manpower shortages in its military, according to Middle East Eye on August 18th.

Army Radio reported that the potential initiative aims to reach Jewish communities abroad to help fill a shortfall of 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers. The shortage has become increasingly acute as the war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, continues to strain Israel’s military resources. The number of existing recruits has steadily declined over the past two years, with many citing physical exhaustion and psychological trauma from the prolonged conflict.

One of the main reasons for the gap is the refusal of many ultra-Orthodox Jews to be enlisted. Despite repeated efforts to integrate this conservative community, who are traditionally exempted from service in exchange for religious study, this desired outcome has not been achieved.

Tensions over the issue have also spilled into politics. Last month, two ultra-Orthodox parties withdrew from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on July 14th and 15th, respectively. The move was in response to a bill not being advanced which would have formalised the conservative community’s exemption from compulsory military service. 

“Out of 18,915 Haredi men issued conscription orders during the current enlistment cycle, only 232 have joined the army, 57 of them in combat roles,” a statement of the Knesset from April 23rd confirmed. 

Faced with these challenges, the army has turned its focus abroad. The recruitment drive is expected to particularly target Jewish communities in the United States and France, with hopes of enlisting around 700 soldiers annually. 

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s plan to seize full control of Gaza City is moving forward. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported on August 17th that the occupation operation could take around four months to get done, while also noting that Washington has requested to review the military’s strategy.

Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, Maghrebi.org