From forced conscription to voluntary integration | Dr. Esther Luzzatto

Dr. Esther Luzzatto argues that fixation, political interests, and populist discourse keep the issue of Haredi conscription in a dead end. She proposes dedicated technological tracks for young Haredi men in the IDF, while preserving their way of life, as an alternative to coercion and criminal sanctions.

Dr. Esther Luzzatto argues in her article that the issue of Haredi conscription is stuck in a dead end due to fixation, political interests, and populist discourse. She criticizes the Supreme Court and "zealots of equality" for blocking gradual solutions, and argues that equality has never been total, citing other broad exemptions. According to her, political cynicism on both sides—Haredi politicians clinging to a secluded model, and an opposition exploiting the issue for attacks—perpetuates the crisis. The solution she proposes is adopting a proven model from the success of Haredi women in high-tech: creating dedicated pre-military technological preparatory programs for young Haredi men, leading to service in technological units in the IDF while preserving a Haredi lifestyle (kashrut, prayers, separate conditions). She emphasizes that the IDF will gain quality human capital, address the shortage of technological personnel, and retain manpower. The overall benefit will be the integration of graduates into Israeli high-tech. Luzzatto calls for true leadership that breaks conventions and leads creative solutions instead of coercion and criminal sanctions.