At a time when Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warns of a severe shortage of manpower, an official request was revealed calling on him to open a special path to recruit more than 3,500 young men who hold temporary residency, were born or raised in Israel and want to wear military uniform, but they are still outside the recruitment centers due to an administrative policy and not due to a legal impediment.
According to a report by journalist Itamar Eichner on the Israeli “Ynet” website, a letter was sent to Zamir’s office confirming the existence of a human reserve that includes thousands of young men wishing to join the Israeli army, at a time when the military establishment is searching for urgent solutions to the crisis of the shortage in the number of soldiers.
According to data from the Population and Immigration Authority, more than 3,500 young people between the ages of 15 and 25 currently live in Israel, and they only have temporary residency status.
The request indicates that a large number of them were born in Israel or grew up there from an early age, were educated in the Israeli system, speak Hebrew, view Israel as their homeland, and wish to serve within the Israeli army.
The report quoted sources familiar with the details as saying that officials in the Shas party are the ones obstructing the move to recruit these young men.
According to these parties, the party fears that after they complete 3 years of military service, it will become difficult to object to granting them Israeli citizenship.
The head of the Immigration Committee of the Israeli Bar Association, Attorney Tomer Warsha, addressed the letter to the Chief of Staff, asking him to immediately activate a special recruitment track, and to turn this category into part of the proposed solution to the manpower crisis in the army.
The message came after the Israeli army warned of a shortage of soldiers and the urgent need to expand the base of those joining the service.
The drafters of the application believe that at a time when the army is searching for every possible source to strengthen its ranks, there is a group that includes thousands of young men who want to serve the state, but they are not being recruited because of an administrative policy that can be modified without the need to enact a new law.
The letter confirms that the Security Service Law actually gives the Israeli army the authority to recruit people who do not hold Israeli citizenship or permanent residency, provided that their permanent place of residence is within Israel.
According to the applicants, the Israeli Ministry of Defense has previously recognized the existence of this authority, but it is not currently applied due to policy considerations, and not due to any legal restriction.
The letter requested Zamir to issue a directive to form a professional team headed by the Human Resources Division, which would, within a short period, prepare a special path for recruiting these young men.
The path proposes subjecting each candidate to an individual examination, according to the extent of his connection to Israel and his security and medical suitability, in addition to launching an initial pilot project that includes tens or hundreds of recruits.
The letter also suggests integrating them into combat units, technological, logistical and medical roles, in addition to combat support missions, according to their capabilities and the needs of the army.
Warsha said: “If the Israeli army is screaming about the shortage of manpower, then it is not permissible to keep young men who grew up here, speak Hebrew, see Israel as their homeland, and want to wear military uniforms, outside the gates of recruitment centers.”
He added: “We are talking about a qualitative human resource that is already here. This is in the security interest of the State of Israel.”
For his part, lawyer Assaf Weitzen, managing partner in the office, said: “The question is not whether the legal authority exists. The authority exists. “The question is whether there is a desire to use it.”
He continued: “In the event of a national emergency, and when the army is looking for every solution to increase the number of servants, it is time to remove administrative obstacles and allow these young men to recruit.”
In its conclusion, the letter stressed that recruiting these people does not require granting them citizenship or changing their legal status within Israel, but rather requires only activating an existing authority with the aim of providing an immediate response to security needs.
The authors of the application believe that there is no logic in keeping thousands of young men who voluntarily wish to serve outside the system, while the Israeli army faces a severe shortage of manpower and is looking for quick solutions, thus transforming the issue from a recruitment file into a political confrontation over the demands for citizenship that may follow service.
