Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa said the IDF should focus public attention on the number of combat soldiers, arguing that the military needs fighters rather than general conscripts. He stressed that this applies to the Haredi sector as well, amid the ongoing debate over ultra-Orthodox enlistment.
IDF Personnel Chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa said Wednesday that the most important figure for the military to present to the public is the number of combat soldiers, not the overall conscription count. In a statement, he emphasized that the IDF needs combat fighters (לוחמים) and that this requirement applies to the Haredi sector as well, using the hashtag #פערהיסטורי (historical gap) — a reference to the long-standing shortfall in ultra-Orthodox enlistment.
The remarks come as the IDF faces a severe manpower crunch amid multi-front operations. As The Zioneer has reported, senior officers have warned that the combat force is nearing collapse without a service extension. Bar Kalifa himself wrote to soldiers on July 17 that extending mandatory service to 32 months is an operational necessity but does not replace the need to recruit additional populations, including Haredim.
The statement adds to a growing chorus of military leaders calling for a broader conscription law that would bring Haredi men into the ranks. The hashtag #פערהיסטורי underscores the enduring gap between the IDF's stated needs and the pace of Haredi enlistment, a politically charged issue that has stalled in the Knesset.
- DevelopingIDF Personnel Chief: Service extension is operational necessity but not substitute for broader conscription
- DevelopingGoldknopf claims IDF has 2 million soldiers, questions need for Haredi conscription
- DevelopingIDF manpower chief: Most draft dodgers are not Haredim
- DevelopingKalker: Haredi conscription not a 'magic bullet' for reservist burden
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