What Do You Know About the Haredi Draft?

 For full report see https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/israel-two-big-lies

Looking at the most explosive political issue threatening to derail the Israeli government mid-war: namely, the conscription of roughly 63,000 young Haredi men to the Israel Defense Forces. One would hardly know, listening to the hyperventilation in the Israeli media, that there are already 6,000 Haredi men serving in the army, that hundreds of them are combat soldiers, and that they volunteer in such solid and consistent numbers that the IDF saw fit, in 1999, to establish an independent battalion just for Haredi soldiers, called Netzah Yehuda.

How come Haredis don’t serve in the army? Why those Haredis who showed up rejected.

Haim Ramon, a longtime Labor Party politician who served as a minister in Yitzhak Rabin’s cabinet happened to browse a document released by the Knesset’s research and information center that provided statistics about various population groups and their representation in the IDF. One stat in particular left Ramon feeling confused: Since Oct. 7, the Knesset revealed, 4,000 young Haredi men showed up of their own volition and asked to volunteer to fight, an initiative that would’ve doubled the number of Haredi soldiers overnight and proven a potential way out of the political impasse.

Almost immediately, the IDF deemed 3,120 of these men unfitting to serve, mostly for being too physically weak to fight. Which, if you know anything about the IDF, is a shocking revelation. A non-Haredi Israeli would have to suffer from a truly debilitating health condition to be found unfit for service; otherwise, 18-year-olds struggling with all manner of maladies—asthma, say, or a bad back or a minor heart condition, even with Downs syndrome—are happily recruited and assigned to support positions that do not require strenuous physical exertion. You can find these excellent and motivated men and women serving as intelligence officers or riflery instructors, drivers or parachute packers, performing services the army absolutely needs. And you’d think that with the national interest allegedly being the swift swelling of the IDF’s ranks, the army would’ve made an effort to accommodate these enthusiastic young Haredis in its ranks.

Instead, not only were they rejected, but also, of the 880 volunteers who were found fit, only 540, or 61 percent, were recruited. In total, then, of the throngs of proud and patriotic black-hatted Israelis who, when it mattered most, wished to join their brothers and sisters in fighting, the army accepted a mere 13.5 percent.

This heartbreaking account provides us with two urgent insights.

First, the entire debate about Haredis in the army is predicated on a bright, shiny untruth. The army doesn’t need Haredi recruits to meet its goals. If it did, it would’ve welcomed every one, or at least the ones physically fit to fight. The army further understands that fully integrating Haredim into its ranks would require a wide array of logistical challenges—providing strictly kosher food, for example, or addressing concerns rising from coed military service—it currently cannot and does not want to address.

Second, while liberal Israeli politicians are quick to refer to Haredis in derogatory terms like shirkers and parasites, the Haredi community has just shown that it is more committed than ever to seeing itself as part of Israel’s national narrative. If you’re looking for a bit of perspective there, a 2023 report from the State Comptroller’s office revealed that, in 2021, a whopping 32 percent of young military-age Tel Avivis chose not to join the IDF, a fact that generated precisely zero national outcry.

Put bluntly, anyone who is asking why Haredis don’t serve in the army should first ask why the army widely rejected those Haredis who showed up.

There is NO Shortage of Food in Gaza

 Thousands of tons of food is being delivered to Gaza.

Where is it all going?

Why is Hamas so confident that it’s winning?

 For full article go to https://www.jns.org/why-is-hamas-so-confident-that-its-winning/ 

Khaled Mashaal, the head of Hamas’s “political wing,” in his luxurious living quarters in Doha, Qatar, thinks the war has gone just fine. He thinks that Hamas is “winning the war” and is confident that the genocidal Islamist organization will, despite the battering it has received from the Israel Defense Forces, play a “decisive” role in Gaza in the future.

It takes an extraordinary amount of chutzpah to sit in a comfortable place of exile where you are protected by Qatar—an ally of Iran and Hamas—while the Gulf State also pretends to be friendly with the United States. It’s odd for a “political” leader to be so blithe about a conflict that has, despite the inflated statistics of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip produced by Hamas, certainly inflicted tremendous harm on his own people. By hiding from the IDF in a warren of tunnels the size of the New York subway system underneath civilian homes, they set in motion a confrontation that guaranteed that much of the Strip would be destroyed. And Hamas itself has been severely hurt. Reportedly, 20,000 operatives have been killed, and all of its organized military formations are no longer combat-effective. The same is true of its ability to send long-range missiles into Israel.

Survival equals a Hamas victory

By any normal definition of victory or defeat, in the aftermath of its orgy of mass murder, rape, torture, kidnappings and wanton destruction in Israel on Oct. 7, Hamas hasn’t been beaten.

While most of us have understandably focused on the fighting in Gaza as well as the way Hezbollah terrorists have been able to essentially de-populate a portion of northern Israel with its indiscriminate fire on civilians, one of the key fronts in this war is not in the Middle East. It’s in the United States.

Hamas have been doing nothing but playing for time. And they expected that the time they needed to outlast the Israeli offensive would be provided to them by Israel’s closest ally.

Combined with the post-Oct. 7 surge in antisemitism made obvious by the pro-Hamas encampments at elite universities, it gave Hamas every reason not to negotiate seriously for a hostage release deal. Hamas viewed all of this as encouragement for its plan to simply hunker down in its remaining tunnel strongholds, and hold out until U.S. and international pressure—heightened by the anti-Israel bias of the mainstream media—forced Israel to stand down and allow the Islamists to emerge as the victor in the war.

Demoralizing the Israelis

While Israelis have every right to protest against their government even in wartime, Hamas also views the unrest inside the Jewish state as an asset. The families of the remaining hostages and Netanyahu’s political opposition now seek to pressure him to give up the war and sign a ceasefire agreement, even if it means essentially handing Gaza back to Hamas and ensuring a repeat of the horrors of Oct. 7. I understand why some feel that way for a number of different reasons, but the fact remains that Hamas is counting on that sentiment.

But above all, Hamas views American pressure on Israel as its ace in the hole.

The reality of Palestinian politics

If left to carry out its tasks without foreign interference, the IDF will eventually eliminate Hamas, though that task will not be accomplished easily or quickly. It can certainly prevent it from returning to power in Gaza, thus ensuring that its reign of terror over Israel as well as Palestinians is over. The terrorist group are counting on feckless American politicians, ideologically motivated leftist demonstrators and political activists, a media that is always prepared to demonize Israeli efforts at self-defense, as well as war-weariness and anguish about the hostages inside Israel to guarantee their survival. We may hope that they are wrong about that, but it’s easy to understand why the terrorist leader is confident that he can outlast the Israelis … with American help.

UK Openly Finances Hamas & Closes Its Eyes

 NGO Monitor researchers uncovered a UK-funded cash aid program

in Gaza that was distributed “in coordination” with a

Hamas-controlled ministry — a fact British officials

were fully aware of. The revelation has triggered a wave of

media coverage and public debate, raising urgent questions

about aid oversight, accountability, and the risks of indirect support

for designated terrorist organizations.

Breakthrough with Laser Technology

 Amongst many new technologies that have been proven in this war (but not yet officially reported), the laser based system has been very successful.

Israel’s Defense Ministry, in collaboration with the Israel Air Force and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, revealed this week, that laser-based interception systems were successfully used in combat for the first time during the ongoing “Swords of Iron” war.

According to a ministry statement, in a major leap forward for military technology, dozens of enemy threats — primarily drones — were neutralized using high-powered laser technology developed through years of research and recently accelerated innovation.

The laser systems, which represent a revolutionary layer in Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense architecture, were rapidly deployed by the Air Force during the war.

The new systems reportedly achieved high interception rates, preventing potential casualties and damage to key infrastructure.

This achievement marks the first operational use of such high-powered laser technology on the battlefield globally.

The Resilience of Israel’s Economy

 For full article see  https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/assisted-living-facilities/article-855353

To understand the resilience of Israel’s economy, one must look at the objective data that reflects a country’s ability to withstand times of crisis. At the start of the "Iron Swords" war, various economic indicators showed significant declines. However, these downturns lasted only a few months. Soon after, the economy bounced back to full strength—despite the ongoing war, rocket attacks from multiple directions, and the uncertainty weighing on the country's citizens.

How did this happen? Credit usage returned to pre-war levels. The shekel, which had weakened and crossed the four-shekel-per-dollar mark in late 2023, regained its value. The demand for housing, both from Israeli citizens and foreign buyers, steadily increased.

When a Jewish person abroad fears walking the streets wearing a kippah, speaking Hebrew or showing an affiliation to their traditions, the national homeland becomes an almost immediate preferred investment—securing the future. That is precisely what happened in Israel throughout 2024. The number of Jewish buyers purchasing homes in Israel surged significantly, contributing to the economy’s return to normal activity levels.

Furthermore, despite the prolonged war, Israel is expected to see economic growth of 4% over the next two years—matching the pace of leading global economies. Unemployment remains very low, fluctuating between 2.6% and 3.7%, figures that effectively indicate full employment. While the debt-to-GDP ratio initially climbed to 72%, it has since returned to 69%. When compared to countries like the U.S., Italy, the U.K., France, or Austria, Israel’s economic standing is remarkably strong. Macroeconomic data points to highly effective economic management by the Bank of Israel.

When comparing stock market performance, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange outperformed the New York Stock Exchange in 2024.

So, what is the foundation of Israel’s economic strength? First and foremost—its people. Israel’s GDP per capita stands at approximately $58,000, ranking it 13th in the world. The country benefits from capital, cutting-edge technology, but above all, highly talented and deeply committed individuals who invest immense effort in maintaining a strong economy and a high quality of life. 

Agricultural Crime Skyrockets in Southern Israel

 Agricultural crime has skyrocketed in southern Israel since the beginning of the year, with farmers mainly blaming a justice system that does not penalize criminals sufficiently to create proper deterrence, as Ynet reported last week

The culprits are usually Bedouin, whether working alone or in gangs. The thieves steal animals, agricultural machines, farm produce and piping from fields and barns, and break into homes as well.

Cattle and sheep theft alone has risen more than 200% over 2024.

A vast majority of the criminals are not caught, and even when some are, usually very few of the animals are recovered.

This is despite the authorities doing a better job than they used to.

“I don’t have many complaints about the police,” said Eran Guy, deputy security coordinator of a moshav in the western Negev. “A decade ago, people would steal, I would call 100 and they would come after two or three days. There has been a change…. They try very hard. But [the area] is full of crime.”

There is also a very active drug and weapons smuggling route nearby, he noted, as well as openly growing marijuana fields.

“In the southern district, from Ashdod to Eilat, which controls 60% of the agricultural land in the country, most of the fields are in isolated places… If there is an isolated wheat field and there are no cameras in the area, my chances of catching a thief are zero,” said Superintendent Amos Damari, commander of the Southern Border Police Division.

Ambushes based on intelligence and knowledge of the various growing seasons is the most successful tactic the police use, he explained.

The problem of attaining justice is two-fold. Indictments in general, said the report, will only be filed for relatively large thefts, and the sentences meted out are too light.

Active prison time ranging from several months to five years are unremarkable, and fines are rarely high.

Those who are underage get off even easier. Bedouin minors are living lives of crime and do not fear getting caught “because the law is with them and they have good lawyers,” said Guy. “This attitude will not stop the thieves”.

“If they would catch a sheep rustler and put him in jail for 15 years, and put the next guy in for 15 years, they’d understand that there’s no such thing as making easy money,” he said.

Farmers have become fearful for their personal safety as well as their financial wellbeing.

“First of all, there is the damage to your sense of personal security,” D., a veteran dairy farmer, said. “My farm is my home. And someone broke into your house while you were at home. He took what was yours. It makes you sleepless for many nights to come.”

“It’s a blow on an economic and personal level,” he added. “The members are suffering, they are not sleeping at night, and there is a fear of letting the children roam freely in the moshav.”