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fullscreenUltra-Orthodox men protest against being forced to do military service. Photo from Tel Aviv last November. Photo: Francisco Seco/AP/TT
The first men to be part of an Israeli ultra-Orthodox brigade have now moved in.
On Sunday, the first 50 men arrived, to be joined later by another 100 older recruits, the IDF military announced.
The conscripts constitute “a first step in establishing an ultra-Orthodox brigade, a significant milestone in expanding the ultra-Orthodox efforts in the IDF, especially in light of the operational efforts required due to the war,” the military writes on Telegram.
The 50 men who arrived on Sunday will, after training, be part of a special brigade, called the Hasmonean brigade.
According to The Times of Israel, they may, among other things, wear religious clothes instead of uniforms on Saturdays, and have daily mandatory times for prayer and Torah study.
Last November, Israel began conscription of ultra-Orthodox men, an extremely controversial measure in the country.
They had until then been exempted from the military service that all other Israelis – men and women – had to do for several years. But as Israel’s defense forces became increasingly strained during the last war, the demands that everyone must stand up have grown.
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox have protested military service and many have ignored conscription orders.