newsIsrael at War

IDF launches first ultra-Orthodox combat brigade

Custom-built $46 million base to open as the military expands haredi enlistment.

Religious soldiers attend their swearing-in ceremony as they join the Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion (previously called the Nahal Haredi Battalion) at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem on May 26, 2012. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90.
Religious soldiers attend their swearing-in ceremony as they join the Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion (previously called the Nahal Haredi Battalion) at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem on May 26, 2012. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90.

The formation of a new ultra-Orthodox infantry brigade is advancing despite tensions surrounding the haredi military service exemption bill and ongoing demonstrations by ultra-Orthodox protesters at the Jerusalem recruitment office.

The first wave of combat recruits is scheduled to arrive at the brigade’s newly upgraded training base in December, Israel Hayom reported on Monday.

The Tavetz training base in the Jordan Valley is undergoing a $46 million transformation, featuring four new synagogues and custom-built infrastructure designed to accommodate religious requirements.

The facility will serve as the training ground for the first cohort of ultra-Orthodox soldiers who will form part of a standard infantry brigade. The brigade’s establishment is headed by Col. Avinoam Emunah, reporting to Maj. Gen. David Zini, head of Training Command.

Plans call for the first ultra-Orthodox infantry battalion to be combat-ready by November 2025, joining existing religious units. This initiative represents the first formation of a regular infantry brigade “from the ground up” since the 1980s.

The leadership structure is already in place, with appointments including a battalion commander, brigade human resources officer, and company and platoon commanders. Staff training is underway, with plans for the brigade to function as a self-sufficient unit, operating independently without requiring support from other formations.

The IDF’s enhanced focus on ultra-Orthodox recruitment stems from operational necessity. A regular brigade can effectively replace many reserve battalions in operational duties, substantially reducing the burden on reserve forces.

Parallel initiatives include the formation of an ultra-Orthodox Border Police company and an aircraft maintenance division within the Air Force, both structured to accommodate religious requirements.

The recruitment initiative has gained high-level attention, with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi conducting monthly progress reviews. Senior military leaders have engaged in dialogue with prominent Orthodox rabbis and religious leaders.

Israeli soldiers walk by a protest in Jerusalem attended by hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews against a proposal to introduce compulsory military service to the haredi community, March 02, 2014. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90.

The military has adopted a new approach, moving away from viewing itself as an “educator” for the ultra-Orthodox community. Instead, it aims to demonstrate that religious observance and military service can coexist. The strategy focuses on building broad-based support for recruitment.

Last Thursday marked the end of the first trimester of the current recruitment year, which set an ambitious target of 4,800 ultra-Orthodox recruits—a significant increase from the 1,800 who enlisted last year. Israel Hayom previously reported that while draft notices were sent to approximately 3,000 ultra-Orthodox men, less than 10% appeared at recruitment offices.

Plans are underway to open a dedicated ultra-Orthodox recruitment center by July, staffed entirely by male personnel to accommodate religious sensitivities.

However, the IDF has tempered its expectations regarding this approach, acknowledging that issuing 3,000 draft notices does not guarantee enlistment. In response, the military has shifted focus to actively promoting service opportunities within the religious community.

Despite the limited success of the draft notices, recruitment has shown encouraging signs, with estimates indicating an increase of several dozen percent compared to the same trimester last year (which averaged roughly 600 recruits per trimester). Notably, most recruits came through channels other than draft notices.

While acknowledging that many may not report to recruitment offices, the military maintains its enforcement stance. Those who fail to appear will receive additional notices, following the same protocol applied to the general population, where multiple summons are common before compliance.

To date, 720 arrest warrants have been issued for ultra-Orthodox individuals who failed to report. However, rather than immediate arrest, these cases typically result in restricted exit rights from the country, similar to enforcement measures in the general sector.

The ultra-Orthodox community’s reluctance to serve in the military stems from various factors, including unwillingness to be pioneers in their community and the prevalent belief that military service conflicts with religious observance.

The IDF’s current strategy focuses on challenging these perceptions through dialogue with religious leaders and creating conditions that make military service more acceptable to the ultra-Orthodox population.

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

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