The Yonatan Battalion, part of the IDF’s all-Chareidi Chashmonaim Brigade, has officially become operational after completing its first full battalion-level exercise.

The IDF said the drill, held in the Golan Heights, included training in open-field combat, urban warfare and raid operations. Military officials said the exercise finalized the unit’s operational certification and cleared it for active deployment.

According to the IDF, soldiers in the battalion have completed specialized courses in heavy weapons, drone operations and sniper training. The IDF said all programs were adapted to accommodate a Torah-observant lifestyle, allowing soldiers to serve while maintaining strict religious standards.

“It’s possible to be Chareidi and be a combat soldier. You are making history,” said Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, commander of the IDF’s Ground Forces.

The battalion’s commander, identified as Lt. Col. A., described the unit as a model of religious dedication and courage. “We’re cultivating soldiers with yiras shamayim who are heroes, men of valor and men of truth,” he said.

The development comes amid major changes in Israel’s draft policy. In 2024, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that, following the expiration of exemption laws, Chareidi men must be drafted into the army. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has since pushed legislation aimed at enlisting 10,000 Chareidim within two years, calling it a “revolution” in military service.

In an October address to the Knesset, Netanyahu pointed to the Chashmonaim Brigade as “proof” that yiddishkeit and army service can coexist.

“These fighters enlisted as Chareidim and will be discharged as Chareidim,” he insisted. “We will expand frameworks that make this possible.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)