Conscription to cover 12,000 soldier shortage crumbles - 'We will not go to the army'

 Senior ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders have ruled out allowing young people to enlist in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), piling pressure on the country's government. Haredi Jews are currently exempt from mandatory military service when enrolled in full-time religious study, but could be compelled to enlist under new proposals.

The exemption was ruled illegal by Israel's High Court of Justice almost 20 years ago. Temporary measures in the time since have seen Haredi Jews avoid conscription; however, such arrangements were stopped by the courts last year, forcing the government to begin drafting young men from the community. However, recordings obtained by Israel's Channel 12 news, show senior leaders openly stating that they will defy the new laws.

In the recordings, Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch said: "In the end, the law will fall after a few years, but we've gained years," as he dismissed the potential for conscription patterns to change as a result of the legislation.

Meanwhile, Degel HaTorah spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando is captured and outright refuses to adhere to the new laws.

He said: "We will not go to the army, No one will go to the army."

The removal of the exemption has seen tensions rise in the country, with Haredi politicians targeted last month by extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters for their role in Parliament's attempts to force through the legislation.

Arrests of men who refuse to be conscripted have seen the development of a "Black Alert", allowing ultra-Orthodox communities to quickly spread the word if the presence of authorities is discovered.

The opposition to conscription is rooted in the ultra-Orthodox belief that continuous prayer and religious study are vital to protecting soldiers and ensuring Israel's security.

Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz told the BBC that policymakers have forgotten the importance of prayer.

He said: "By studying Torah, we protect the soldiers wherever they are. This is our army.

"Today, many in the government and the Knesset [parliament] have distanced themselves from religion. They say yeshiva students are lazy, which is not true.

"In Tel Aviv, there are tens of thousands of draft dodgers - why don't they take them? Why are they attacking yeshiva students?"

The uproar comes as the Israeli government struggles to cope with a severe manpower crisis, with military officials acknowledging a shortfall of around 12,000 soldiers amid the ongoing war in Gaza and increased threats on its borders.