Israeli military fails to recruit hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews

The Israeli military, which has failed to subdue the resistance fighters in besieged Gaza, has failed to register hundreds of Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Jews for military service, local media reported.

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said on Monday only 30 Haredi Jews appeared during the day at the conscription office, while 1,000 are supposed to register their names on Monday and Tuesday.

KAN quoted a source in the Israeli army who referred to the low number of registering Haredi Jews for conscription due to a protest held by them that pushed many who intended to join the army to retract.

Israeli police said they arrested three Haredi protesters who rallied in front of the conscription office to protest the drafting of Haredi Jews.

Problematic conscription

In June, Israel's Supreme Court mandated the drafting of Haredi Jews into the army and banned financial aid to religious institutions whose students refused military service.

The ruling sparked an outcry among the religious minority, who protested against joining the military, arguing it would distract them from studying the Jewish holy book, the Torah, a goal they dedicated their lives to.

The protests often led to clashes between protesters and police.

Haredi Jews makeup about 13 percent of Israel's population of approximately 9.9 million have been largely exempt from serving in the military since the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Israeli law requires all Israelis over 18 to serve in the military, and the exemption of Haredi has been a contentious issue for decades.

Why Ultra-Orthodox Jews oppose enlisting?

Ultra-Orthodox Jews oppose enlisting in the army for various reasons, including — but not limited to — the removal of the element of isolation, which the community is known for, and the need for special accommodations if they enlist, such as serving in male-only units and prolonged prayer times.

Many of them are also anti-Zionists, since they believe a Jewish state can't be created before the arrival of the messiah, with many of them becoming supporters of Palestine.

Israel, on the other hand, keeps establishing illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and has reduced most of Gaza to ruins.

Tel Aviv has also killed over 39,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 91,400 others in the blockaded enclave, while causing a major shortage of basic necessities, including food, water, medicine and electricity — all of which contributed to the spread of diseases and famine. Some 10,000 people have been abducted by Israel while more than 10,000 are believed to be buried under rubble of bombed homes.

Some 45 American physicians, surgeons and nurses, who have volunteered in Gaza since last October say the likely death toll from Israel's genocidal war is "already greater than 92,000".

According to a study published in the journal Lancet, the accumulative effects of Israel's war on Gaza could mean the true death toll could reach more than 186,000 people.