Bereaved Families and Reservists Demand Equal IDF Conscription Charter
Bereaved families and reservists launched the Zionist Conscription Charter on Tuesday, demanding the next government commit to equal IDF recruitment amid severe manpower shortages.
Families of fallen soldiers, reservists, and senior officers launched the Zionist Conscription Charter on Tuesday, demanding that the next government commit to broad and equal military recruitment. Over a thousand individuals have signed the document, initiated by the Service Partnership Forum, amid growing public pressure over the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Israelis from service in the IDF.
The initiative comes as the coalition attempts to advance exemption arrangements for the ultra-Orthodox sector, coupled with a lack of progress on a proper recruitment law and a halt to proactive arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders. These developments unfold as the IDF warns of severe manpower shortages, requiring thousands of additional combat troops following three years of the war initiated on October 7, during which 971 IDF soldiers have lost their lives.
Manpower Crisis and Military Demands
According to IDF data, 83 percent of all draft evaders belong to the ultra-Orthodox community. The military estimates a shortage of approximately 15,000 soldiers, including 7,000 to 8,000 combat personnel. In response, military authorities urge the urgent extension of mandatory service, amendments to reserve duty regulations, and the enactment of a comprehensive conscription law to secure immediate personnel additions.
Among the signatories are bereaved family members, including Zvi Sussman, Riki Berkowitz, Zvika Greenglick, Moshe Shapira, Rachel Goldberg, and Maya Ohana Moreno. They are joined by senior reserve officers, including Maj. Gen. (res.) Yom Tov Samia, Brig. Gen. (res.) Ron Kitri, and Col. (res.) Israel Epstein, alongside public figures and academics nationwide.
Families Demand Equal Burden Sharing
It is unthinkable that an entire sector in the State of Israel does not bear the burden of military service and national defense, especially after the past three years and the price we have paid and continue to pay.
Efraim Shoham, father of St. Sgt. Yuval Shoham, who fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip, emphasized the core demand of the initiative. Eden Daoui, sister of St. Sgt. Roi Daoui, who fell during the ground maneuver in Gaza, echoed the sentiment, calling on the future government to implement universal conscription measures and end the disproportionate burden placed on military families.
The Service Partnership Forum aims to place the conscription issue at the forefront of the political agenda ahead of the upcoming elections. The charter demands a prior commitment to ensuring genuine equality in military service, warning that further delays or evasion arrangements directly jeopardize Israel's security and national resilience.
