Ultra-Orthodox Increasingly Join IDF

The IDF has seen a steady rise in numbers of ultra-Orthodox men who join the army, MA'ARIV reported. According to data revealed Wednesday by the Ministry of Defense, there has been a 50 percent rise in the number of Haredi draftees in comparison to last year. Head of the Social Department in the ministry, Itzik Turjeman, said that, 'the
word of the good treatment they receive in addition to the fact that sometimes their faith is even strengthened during the service has spread across yeshivas,' and contributes to the phenomenon. Turjeman added that, 'the quality of the soldiers has also increased and every year we see men with better profiles'. The Nahal Haredi Battalion began with only several dozen draftees. Today, the battalion includes several platoons, which undergo a combat training course in the Nahal Division. The soldiers then carry out combat missions, mainly in the area of Judea and Samaria.