Haredi politician Yitzhak Goldknopf said Sunday that the Israeli military already has 2 million soldiers and faces no manpower shortage, questioning why the IDF needs to draft 15,000 ultra-Orthodox men. The comments come amid an ongoing debate over Haredi conscription and the IDF's stated need for additional troops.
Haredi politician Yitzhak Goldknopf, chairman of Agudat Yisrael, said Sunday that the Israeli military already has 2 million soldiers and faces no manpower shortage, questioning why the IDF needs to draft 15,000 ultra-Orthodox men. The statement was reported by the source monitored by The Zioneer.
Goldknopf's comments push back against military and government officials who have argued that the IDF urgently requires additional troops due to expanded operational demands across multiple fronts. The debate over Haredi conscription has intensified in recent months, with the attorney general telling the High Court last month that there is an acute security necessity to expand the army and widen enforcement against yeshiva students. The IDF has acknowledged a need for more combat soldiers, with commanders testifying to a severe shortage. As The Zioneer reported on July 5, a senior IDF official said the army established dozens of new battalions and needs an urgent troop surge. The IDF is also preparing to release 10,000 reservists by end of month amid budget pressures, according to a July 5 bulletin.
Goldknopf's characterization of the military's size — 2 million soldiers — is a significant exaggeration; the IDF's active and reserve force is substantially smaller. The remark appears aimed at countering pressure for Haredi enlistment, which remains a deeply contentious issue in Israeli politics.
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