As the IDF makes an urgent plea for manpower, Israel’s draft-exempt ultra-Orthodox community vows to ‘die rather than enlist.’
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“Die rather than enlist!” a group of black-and-white-suited protesters chanted one warm summer day in Jerusalem, echoing the unyielding position on military enlistment promoted by many of their Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, spiritual and political leaders. The mantra has come to symbolize one of the deepest divides among Israelis—as well as one of the greatest political vulnerabilities facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections.
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