JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A steady upward trend has been recorded in the number of recruits from Israel’s charedi community, according to Israel Defense Forces Human Resources Directorate data published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The figures show that enlistment has increased by more than 1,000 recruits each year in recent years.

The report states that the main drivers behind this trend are growing pressure on the charedi community stemming from the military’s severe manpower shortage, Supreme Court rulings that have led to stricter enforcement of enlistment requirements, and a shift from institutional sanctions to personal enforcement measures.

The year-by-year breakdown shows that before the war, approximately 1,700 Haredim enlisted annually. During the first year of the war (through July 2024), the number rose to about 2,200. In the following year (through July 2025), it reached approximately 2,800, and over the past year, more than 4,000 Haredim enlisted.

Alongside increased enforcement, the IDF points to a series of adjustments made in recent years to enable military service while preserving the charedi way of life. These include the establishment of the Hashmonaim Brigade and dedicated enlistment tracks such as the Kodkod program.

Despite the positive trend, the military emphasizes that its manpower shortage remains critical. According to the IDF, it is currently short approximately 7,500 combat soldiers and a similar number of combat support personnel, largely due to the heavy toll of the war, in which more than 950 soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded.

Defense officials stress that the Haredi recruitment potential is significantly larger, noting that each annual draft cohort includes roughly 14,000 Haredi men eligible for military service.

As part of efforts to expand enlistment, the IDF Chief of Staff has signed a General Staff directive regulating the integration of charedi soldiers through three defined service tracks. The directive is intended to provide certainty for both recruits and rabbinic leaders while formally guaranteeing their rights through binding military regulations.

In addition, Brig. Gen. Avinoam Emunah, who established the Hashmonaim Brigade, has been appointed as the IDF’s adviser for charedi affairs.

The military is also examining additional ways to expand charedi service options, including the creation of charedi engineering equipment companies (combat engineering and heavy machinery units) and a dedicated training framework that would include officer training as well as a range of positions from combat support roles to frontline combat service.