Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis who use basic cell phones do not receive early warning notification of incoming Iranian missiles.
The older model cell phones, which do not have access to the internet or messaging apps of smartphones, do not have the technology to receive the message alerts from the IDF Home Front Command when the missiles are first fired.
A group of ultra-Orthodox rabbis recently met with Israeli military representatives to come up with alternatives for such phone users such as a special ringtone, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported.
Many haredi Jews in Israel use modified cell phones dubbed “kosher phones,” in an effort to curtail exposure to what they see as harmful influences of the internet on their religious and cultural values.
Last year, the Israeli military first warned against the use of such phones while going on hikes, when users could also be out of range of air-raid sirens.