IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday evening that the military must significantly expand its ranks to meet all operational demands, calling it an 'operational necessity and a Zionist and moral duty,' according to N12. He stressed that the duty to defend the state applies to all sectors of Israeli society, including the Haredi community.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Wednesday evening called for a significant expansion of the military's ranks, stating that the IDF requires the service of all sectors of Israeli society, including the Haredi community. Speaking in a statement reported by N12, Zamir described the need as an 'operational necessity and a Zionist and moral duty,' adding that 'we must not exempt anyone from the duty to defend the state.'
The remarks come amid an ongoing public and legal debate over Haredi conscription, which has intensified as the IDF faces multi-front operational demands. The military has stood up dozens of new battalions in recent years and is seeking to extend mandatory service across all sectors, as The Zioneer has previously reported. Zamir's statement did not specify a timeline or targets for the expansion, but he emphasized that the responsibility falls on the entire society. The exact context of the statement—whether delivered at a formal event or in a recorded message—was not disclosed.
4 developments
- DevelopingIDF chief warns military faces collapse without extended mandatory service
- StrongChief of Staff Zamir: Military must balance diversity with unified framework
- StrongChief of Staff Zamir: Army will integrate all sectors to serve side by side
- DevelopingChief of Staff Zamir: IDF has defeated the enemy on all fronts, at strategic crossroads
Source and signal
- Internal intake