Serving Together: What the Debate on Haredi Enlistment Misses |
For years, Israel’s debate over Haredi military service felt abstract to me. It was a legal argument fought in the Knesset, on protest signs, and in headlines.
I thought I had a clear position.
Then, after October 7, an entire Haredi platoon joined my search-and-rescue reserve unit, and the debate suddenly became personal.
Between operational missions and long nights on base, I came to realize how wide the gap is between public discourse and lived reality. Like many Israelis, I had grown used to seeing Haredim as a single, uniform group, disconnected from higher education, absent from the workforce, and holding rigid views. What I encountered instead was diversity. I served alongside university students, lawyers, contractors, accountants, and young fathers. Some were right wing, others left wing. Beyond the headlines, I met people.
Dialogue came first.
We spoke about family, relationships, the cost of living, and the shared anxiety of returning to studies or work after yet another round of reserve duty. Only after trust was built did I begin asking the question that interested me most. Why did you enlist?
The answer I heard repeatedly was simple: “After October 7, I could not stand aside. I wanted to be a part, I wanted to contribute.” Among........