Israel Approves Record Reservist Call-Up Amid Legal Backlash Over Ultra-Orthodox Draft Exemptions

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Israeli government on Monday approved the emergency recruitment of up to 450,000 reservists through August 31, 2025, the highest number since the October 7 Hamas attack. The move comes amid strong legal criticism over the state’s failure to enforce equal conscription, particularly within the ultra-Orthodox community.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara condemned the inequality during a speech at the Israel Bar Association conference, saying, “Not everyone shares the burden equally, and the basic sense of justice is severely damaged.” She emphasized that Israel’s security laws require equal service and criticized the lack of enforcement against draft evasion.

Each reservist is estimated to cost taxpayers NIS 1,000 ($280) per day. Legal advisors warned that the emergency order could face serious constitutional challenges if the government continues to neglect recruitment reform.

Reservist groups and civil society leaders reacted harshly. “We will report for duty when called – but we need someone else to carry the stretcher now,” said a reservists’ movement responding to Kan News. Mothers at the Front leader Ayelet HaShachar Seidov blasted the decision, calling it a betrayal by a government that “rewards draft dodgers and betrays its fighters.”

Baharav-Miara urged the government to immediately increase draft orders and enforce personal sanctions on evaders, stating these changes can be implemented without new legislation.

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