MK Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism sharply attacked the IDF after the military released new figures showing a shortage of roughly 12,000 soldiers, accusing army leadership of turning the military into what he described as a political weapon against bnei Torah.

Porush claimed senior officers were allowing legal advisers to dictate policy and said “the army has become a political tool in the hands of those persecuting Torah learners.” He argued that the military establishment was ignoring recommendations from a professional advisory panel that supported exempting yeshiva students who commit to three daily sedorim of Torah study.

The criticism followed a recent IDF briefing revealing that the military is currently short approximately 12,000 troops, including between 6,000 and 7,500 combat soldiers. Defense officials warned that the manpower shortage could deepen dramatically if mandatory service is reduced to 30 months.

Military officials stressed that without broader enlistment legislation — particularly involving the charedi sector — the IDF could face a serious personnel crisis within a relatively short period of time.

According to the army, the ongoing fighting across seven active fronts has forced standing troops into nearly constant operational service, while reservists are being called up for significantly more duty days than initially anticipated.

During the past two years, the IDF expanded its force structure by adding nine armored companies, an engineering battalion, a Home Front Command battalion and an additional charedi battalion, while simultaneously enlarging reserve force capabilities.

Data presented by the military also showed that out of approximately 80,000 people categorized as being involved in “draft-evasion processes,” roughly half are from the charedi community, while another quarter are believed to belong to the same sector. In July 2025, the Chief of Staff ordered draft notices sent to all eligible charedi recruits and appointed Brigadier General Avinoam Amona as adviser on charedi matters.

At the same time, enlistment numbers among charedim have steadily risen. Approximately 2,200 charedim entered military service in 2023, followed by 2,800 in 2024. During the first six months of 2025, about 1,850 enlisted, and officials estimate the yearly figure could surpass 3,000 by the end of the year.

Responding to the military’s presentation, Porush said the IDF’s public statements indicate that “certain elements have decided to turn the military into a political instrument against Torah scholars.”

He also referred to an advisory committee established by then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with backing from former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. The committee, headed by a retired major general and composed of senior officers, reportedly recommended protecting full-time yeshiva students who maintain intensive daily Torah study schedules.

Escalating his criticism further, Porush accused military leaders and legal officials of waging “a campaign against Torah learners” and using public briefings as part of an effort to block any compromise arrangement based on the committee’s recommendations.

Speaking during a recent session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee attended by the Chief of Staff, Porush challenged the military’s approach toward drafting yeshiva students and questioned why the army was ignoring the professional conclusions reached by the advisory panel.

{Matzav.com}