Since the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, fixed-term military service has been compulsory in Israel. The draft laws of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) only apply to Jews (males and females), Druze (males only), and Circassians (males only). Because the Druze and Circassian communities are less populous, their women are exempted from mandatory military service altogether. Women from the Jewish community are not exempted, but serve for slightly shorter terms than their male counterparts. The IDF does not conscript non-Druze Arab citizens of Israel, though their men and women may enlist voluntarily.
Unique among the country's Jewish-majority population are the Haredi Jews, who previously enjoyed full exemption from the IDF through a special arrangement called Torato Umanuto, which was organized by Israel's founding prime minister David Ben-Gurion. The arrangement became increasingly controversial in Israeli society, with growing discontent towards the increasingly populous Haredi community not "sharing the burden" of national duty. In June 2024, Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Haredi Jews were eligible for compulsory service, ending nearly eight decades of exemption.[1] The army began drafting Haredi men the following month.[2]
As of 2022[update], the minimum required length of military service is two years and eight months (with some roles requiring an additional four months of service) for all conscripted men, and two years (with some roles requiring an additional eight months of service) for conscripted Jewish women.[3] Once they have completed their mandatory term of service, all discharged citizens remain eligible to be called up for reserve duty until the age of 40. Draftees may be exempted from military service on humanitarian, religious, or certain legal grounds.
- ^ "Israel's high court orders the army to draft ultra-Orthodox men, rattling Netanyahu's government". AP News. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel (18 July 2024). "IDF to begin drafting 3,000 Haredi men starting Sunday, in three waves". Times of Israel.
- ^ "Military Service, 7th Edition" (PDF). Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.