Growing anger over the draft crisis and government sanctions targeting the chareidi community is reportedly spilling into the IDF itself, with some chareidi soldiers threatening coordinated absences from their units in protest.

According to a report by Bechadrei Chareidim, soldiers serving in various chareidi tracks within the military have been discussing the possibility of a mass refusal to report for duty if the government’s policies toward yeshiva bochurim and avreichim continue.

“There is very serious talk among us,” one soldier serving in a technological unit told Bechadrei Chareidim.

“The guys are saying very clearly: If the government doesn’t change course regarding everything happening to the chareidi community—the daycare decree, driver’s licenses, and what they’re doing to draft evaders—we’re planning to simply stop showing up to base one day. The state has to understand that we won’t go along with it when this is how it treats chareidim.”

The report says many soldiers feel caught between their military service and their loyalty to the broader chareidi community.

“It doesn’t feel right that we’re sitting in the army while our brothers are outside fighting the system,” the soldier said. “We’re chareidim at the end of the day. There’s enormous anger over the conduct of the army and the state.”

According to the report, discussions have included the possibility of a week-long absence from duty or even permanently leaving military service.

“The guys really mean it,” the soldier claimed. “They’re just waiting for the first person to have the courage to stop showing up. Once it starts, others will follow.”

The report also alleges frustration with organizations that operate and oversee the military’s chareidi programs. Some soldiers accused those organizations of having financial incentives to encourage enlistment and therefore not supporting protest efforts.

Many soldiers, according to Bechadrei Chareidim, say they are waiting for explicit guidance from their rabbanim before taking any action.

“If my Rebbe tells us to stop coming, we’re out,” one soldier was quoted as saying. “If I didn’t have a rav holding me back, I would have left the army already.”

The report noted that this is not the first time chareidi soldiers have threatened to leave military service. It cited an incident several weeks ago in which an avreich affiliated with Belz was arrested on allegations of draft evasion. According to the report, senior figures in the chassidus warned that hundreds of Belz chassidim serving in the military would leave their units if he was not released. The avreich was subsequently freed before Shabbos.

No official response from the IDF was included in the report.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)