The IDF does not need to enlist every young man and woman of age, former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Wednesday, speaking at a presidential conference on Israel’s future.
“We need to switch to a different ‘mode,’” he said. “The IDF can choose who it wants, and the rest can go to the firefighters, police, etc. Including the Arab public.”
Regarding enlistment in the hareidi world, Ashkenazi said, “We could choose a set number of gifted scholars – between 1,000 and 1,500 – selected by the great Torah scholars. The rest could serve.”