Trying a professional army

Shilo Freid argues in an opinion piece that Israel should consider transitioning to a professional, voluntary army instead of continuing the debate over ultra-Orthodox conscription. He proposes a temporary order for two voluntary recruitment cycles with incentives, and warns that without change, the IDF may be left without sufficient manpower.

Shilo Freid argues in an opinion piece on ynet that instead of continuing the debate over ultra-Orthodox conscription and sanctions, Israel should seriously consider transitioning to a professional, voluntary army. He describes the educational climate in which he grew up, where students in a national religious yeshiva prepared for meaningful service, and argues that even without a conscription law, many would enlist out of values. Freid proposes a temporary order for two voluntary recruitment cycles as a test, with incentives such as subsidized housing, a degree, discounted apartment, and adequate monthly salary, instead of sanctions on draft dodgers. He warns that the public bearing the burden is shrinking, and that in the future it will not be possible to enforce mandatory conscription on a minority. The article highlights the security concern in light of the failures of October 7, but calls for starting an experiment to prevent internal rift.

Trying a professional army