Chareidi Hesder Roshei Yeshiva Call for One-Year Freeze on Arrests and Expanded Service Framework
The leaders of several Chareidi hesder yeshivos have addressed a joint letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth, requesting a temporary one-year suspension of arrests of yeshiva bochurim while a broader, long-term draft arrangement is formulated.
In contrast to earlier initiatives that primarily focused on halting enforcement actions, the roshei yeshiva outlined a more comprehensive approach. Their plan combines a temporary pause in arrests with a significant expansion of structured service pathways designed specifically for the Chareidi community.
Among the key proposals is a plan to triple the number of students enrolled in Chareidi hesder yeshivos within a year, backed by dedicated state funding. They also call for the expansion of Chareidi-oriented frameworks within the IDF, the police, emergency response organizations, and local security units.
The letter further recommends creating accelerated enlistment options for older Chareidi men who did not previously serve, enabling them to integrate into reserve or auxiliary service tracks. It also urges launching a nationwide public campaign to encourage participation in service models that align with Chareidi lifestyle requirements.
The Roshei yeshiva argue that placing responsibility solely on Chareidi leadership for the current enlistment crisis overlooks what they describe as years of unsuccessful efforts by various state institutions, including the government, courts, IDF, and defense establishment, to reach a lasting solution.
They also caution that continued arrests are damaging trust and making it more difficult to increase participation in any form of service.
As they wrote, the objective is to establish “practical conditions that will allow a Chareidi young man who wishes to do so to combine Torah learning with sharing the burden of defending the country without having to choose between the two.”
The letter calls on the government to use the proposed year-long freeze to pass comprehensive legislation that preserves full-time Torah study while also creating a permanent framework for those who choose to combine learning with military or national service.
It concludes by stressing that, at this time, Yidden require unity, responsibility, protection of the Torah world, and strengthened security, rather than further internal division.
