Likud MK Kallner opposes criminal arrests for haredi draft evaders, backs economic sanctions

Likud Member of Knesset Ariel Kallner has stated his opposition to arresting yeshiva students for evading military service, proposing economic sanctions as a more effective alternative. Kallner, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told 103FM that mass arrests would not solve the issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) enlistment into the IDF.

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I don't think arresting yeshiva students is the right way. Anyone who is an expert and deals with Haredi recruitment understands that mass arrests will not provide the solution. Everyone understands that if you arrest masses right now, you won't succeed in filling the prisons. The only way is economic sanctions.

"I don't think arresting yeshiva students is the right way," Kallner said. He argued that economic sanctions, combined with an online recruitment method and appropriate frameworks within the military, represent the correct process to encourage enlistment. Kallner believes that while everyone should be expected to enlist, the approach must acknowledge both the value of military service and Torah study.

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I always expect everyone to enlist. As someone who strongly believes in the value of military service and also in the value of Torah study, I believe they go together.

Addressing the challenges of integrating haredi recruits, Kallner drew from his own military experience. He noted that soldiers lacking motivation or coming from unsupportive communities can become a burden. "If you want combat soldiers, you ultimately need to create a supportive environment," he stated, emphasizing that even strong measures would not yield results without fostering motivation and acceptance within the military structure.

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As someone who served as a combat soldier in Golani, I saw that when there is no motivation, and people are problematic, they become a burden on the system. This is even more true when dealing with soldiers who come from unsupportive communities, for whom this matter is currently foreign and frightening. This won't be solved in one fell swoop, even if we hit hard. If you want combat soldiers, you ultimately need to create a supportive environment.