Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, the IDF's head of manpower directorate, stated that the military is approaching 90,000 draft evaders, describing the level of non-cooperation as "extreme."
Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, the IDF's head of manpower directorate, warned on Tuesday (Jun 30) that the military is on track to reach 90,000 draft evaders, describing the level of non-cooperation as "extreme," as reported by Amit Segal (N12). The figure, cited by the senior officer at 15:05 Jerusalem, marks a dramatic escalation from his earlier appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the same day, when he had already outlined prosecution policies and a modest enlistment drive that netted 110 soldiers a year ago.
Earlier on Tuesday (published at 15:05 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported Tayeb telling lawmakers that anyone who evaded conscription faced prosecution, while most who regularized their status received a suspended sentence. He also revealed that a separate outreach operation, 'Starting Anew,' had enlisted 110 soldiers a year prior. The new warning of 90,000 evaders and the description of "extreme" non-cooperation represents a far more severe assessment than that earlier picture, reflecting what the IDF now calls a near-record crisis in compliance.
As The Zioneer has reported, Israel's security establishment is under intense strain from simultaneous operations against Iranian proxies in Syria and southern Lebanon, with the IDF launching ground incursions into southern Syria and widespread strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure. The manpower shortfall compounds pressure on combat and reserve units across multiple fronts.
It remains unclear whether the 90,000 figure includes those who have never reported for service, those who have exhausted deferments, or both. Tayeb’s use of 'extreme' suggests the military views this as a structural breakdown rather than a seasonal spike, but no detailed breakdown by community — ultra-Orthodox, Arab, or other — has yet been released.
2 developments
- DevelopingOver 120 alleged draft dodgers assigned to Haredi tracks in IDF
- DevelopingIDF personnel chief opposes bill freezing arrests of yeshiva draft evaders
- DevelopingIDF Personnel Chief calls for extending mandatory service to 36 months
- StrongIDF official says army made 'unprecedented moves' to integrate Haredim in recent years
Source and signal
- Internal intake