A member of the Knesset is demanding that the IDF reexamine its process for granting mental health exemptions from military service, alleging that some chareidi youths are receiving exemptions without ever requesting them or appearing before military officials.

MK Moshe Tur-Paz sent a formal letter to Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, head of the IDF Personnel Directorate, and Brig. Gen. Shay Taib, head of the Personnel Support Division, calling for an immediate review of the current system.

According to Tur-Paz, his office has received complaints from young men and women in the chareidi community who were surprised to discover they had been classified by the military as exempt from service on mental health grounds despite never seeking such a designation.

Tur-Paz further alleged that community and educational figures are sometimes working behind the scenes to obtain — or in some cases falsify — medical documentation in order to secure exemptions, all without direct interaction between the candidate and military authorities.

In his letter, Tur-Paz described the situation as a “serious systemic and ethical failure,” arguing that it allows third parties to influence a young person’s military and civilian future without his or her knowledge or consent.

He also claimed that such exemptions can negatively affect future employment opportunities and distort military recruitment statistics.

To address the issue, Tur-Paz proposed that any mental health exemption be granted only after the candidate personally appears at a recruitment office and is evaluated by an authorized medical committee.

He called on the IDF to revise its regulations and medical procedures to ensure greater oversight and protect individuals who wish to pursue military service or broader integration into Israeli society.

The IDF has not yet publicly responded to the proposal.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)