Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews will undergo abbreviated training for the first time as part of the "Phase B" project - so that they can be part of the defense forces for ultra-Orthodox cities and settlements.
At the end of March, Tironot 03 will begin, which will last only about four weeks, and in which ultra-Orthodox over the age of 26 who have not been drafted into the IDF will be trained in rifles and basic combat.
With the outbreak of war, the IDF's Spatial Defense Battalions were activated for the first time in decades. These are fighting units that are mostly made up of residents who live in communities in Judea and Samaria, and whose purpose during an emergency is to secure their place of residence.
The IDF encountered a significant challenge in the ultra-Orthodox cities and communities in Judea and Samaria, since there are almost no residents who served in the IDF.
The immediate solution was in the form of fighters from other sectors or veterans of the navy who were recruited for the first time into the reserves due to the war.
But this solution becomes more and more problematic as the fighting continues, due to the length of the reserve service and the lack of fighters.
ultra-orthodox in the recruiting office,
At the same time, there was a massive increase at the beginning of the war in the demand from older ultra-Orthodox, who had already received an exemption, to enlist in the "Phase B" project.
This is a project that started about four years ago, within the framework of which older ultra-Orthodox were recruited for back-office training and then integrated into back-office jobs.
Hundreds who enlisted as part of "Phase B" since the beginning of the war have already been assigned to the reserves in various professions, including lawyers, social workers and ambulance drivers.
Now the challenge is greater, because the IDF recognizes a significant decrease in the demand to reach the reserves in units that do not actually maneuver, and this is also clearly visible in the ultra-Orthodox communities. If in October there were thousands of ultra-orthedim who asked to enlist in "Phase B", now there are hundreds, and they are also before the screening that determines Who can actually enlist.
This affects the day after the war in the ultra-orthodox settlements.
As in the Beitar Territorial Defense settlements, the IDF is interested in recruiting local residents for the defense of their settlements, with an emphasis at the moment on Beitar Illit, Modi'in Illit, Midas, Ma'ale Amos, Emmanuel and Tel Zion - all cities and towns of an ultra-Orthodox character. However, IDF sources say that they It is difficult to find enough candidates from within the localities, because many of the candidates who applied for enlistment are not actually suitable for it.
There are professionals who propose to open the recruitment to all ultra-Orthodox who have the exemption, regardless of their place of residence, and it is possible that this will solve the problem.
The first of its kind
In the upcoming recruitment, the first of its kind, 75 ultra-Orthodox fighters will be recruited, who will undergo training in a special model.
This is an initiative of the Paratroopers and Chief Infantry Officer Command and the Border Protection Corps, which allows to focus exclusively on combat issues - an adequate level of soldiers and shooting ability. These are abilities that every reserve fighter has that the ultra-Orthodox do not have, even those who wish to protect their locality.
Soldiers praying, photo: Yossi Zeliger
A similar internship, it should be noted, was recently opened for students of Seder yeshiva before their enlistment, so that they could protect the communities in which they study.
In the IDF, they aim high
In the next stages, as long as the pilot is successful, the IDF aims to complete the recruitment of hundreds of ultra-Orthodox who are required for the task of protecting the communities in which they live. The army says that there is no numerical limit and they are able to train many more fighters, and now the big question is whether the ultra-Orthodox will flock to the shortened training to protect on their own localities. The goal, the IDF emphasizes, is operational, and not related to the general question of recruiting the ultra-Orthodox, meaning - it is an immediate and clear need for manpower to protect the localities.
The integration of the ultra-orthodox in the IDF due to the operational need that arose after October 7th is not limited only to Judea and Samaria. These days, the "Hashomer" brigade is being established, whose purpose is to secure communities in an emergency alongside the Territorial Defense Battalions in the Yosh, and it will include four battalions, two of which have already been established.
One of the battalions, Magan David, whose establishment process was completed a week ago, is the second ultra-orthodox reserve battalion in the IDF overall, which is made up of graduates of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion. The battalion's mission will be to carry out routine routine infantry missions and emergency settlement security missions.
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