IDF Restores Chabad Recruitment Deal as Arrests Threaten Enlistment

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz directed the Ministry of Defense and the IDF to devise a new plan for the Chabad yeshiva enlistment scheme after the cancellation of the long‑standing arrangement led to the loss of hundreds of motivated recruits. The previous agreement allowed Chabad bochurim to spend a year at the 770 yeshiva before committing to military service, and its termination reportedly caused arrests of students at Ben Gurion Airport and a sharp decline in enlistment numbers.

Former Chashmonaim Brigade recruitment chief Elchanan Wasserman warned that the arrests are counter‑productive, saying, “The arrests are taking us on a 100‑meter sprint—but in reverse.” He argued that the policy is discouraging chareidi men from joining the army, deepening divisions within the community, and undermining the brigade’s success, which he described as “a tremendous success.” Wasserman called for a draft framework that respects Torah scholars while expanding opportunities for other chareidi men, without imposing quotas.

The IDF’s renewed outreach reflects heightened demand for chareidi soldiers amid the ongoing war, with officials seeking to balance legal constraints, community concerns, and recruitment goals.