Despite the public backlash and political storm sparked by its recent enforcement operation, the IDF is now preparing for an even broader campaign targeting draft dodgers — including many from the chareidi sector — according to a report aired Wednesday evening on Kan News.
While previous operations focused on individuals who underwent initial screenings but failed to report for induction, this upcoming operation is aimed at a different group: those who never responded to their initial call-up notices. This group reportedly includes a large percentage of young chareidi men.
On Tuesday, Channel 12 News reported that the Military Police arrested 38 draft evaders as part of the most recent crackdown. According to IDF data, only one of those detained was from the chareidi community. Still, the arrests prompted concern in the Defense Minister’s office, which reportedly requested clarification from the army regarding who was being targeted and how decisions were being made about whom to arrest.
Chareidi political leaders expressed strong outrage over the campaign’s timing, as sensitive negotiations surrounding the proposed new draft law are currently underway. Senior members of the chareidi parties sharply criticized the move, calling it “a deeply troubling development,” and issued a warning to the Prime Minister’s Office: if yeshiva students are arrested, they will consider an immediate withdrawal from the coalition government.
Following the backlash, the IDF issued a statement explaining the nature and scope of the operation. An army spokesperson clarified: “The IDF routinely carries out draft enforcement operations in coordination with the enlistment cycle. Another such operation took place last night, just as they have in the past. It is conducted equally across all sectors and targets those who failed to report as required.”
The military further clarified that this was the third operation of its kind since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War. The previous two took place in November 2024 and March 2025. The current operation reached out to 36 miluim shavim (individuals designated for mandatory service) from across the country.
Sources in the IDF emphasized that the operation was conducted in two phases. First, efforts were made to locate the individuals and contact them to encourage voluntary compliance. Only when this failed were arrests carried out. Further consequences, they said, depend on the severity of the case and may range from disciplinary action to criminal proceedings.

{Matzav.com Israel}