Nahal haredi soldiers
Nahal haredi soldiersFlash 90

The Israeli military has reduced the mandatory service for male draftees Wednesday, effective immediately.

The change, which was announced Wednesday, comes as part of the army service reform plan, which was passed into law in December 2016.

Under the new rules, male soldiers drafted into the IDF will be required to serve two-and-a-half years, down from the 32 months they were previously required to serve.

“In accordance with the law,” the IDF said in a statement Wednesday, “the period of mandatory army service for men being drafted beginning July 1st 2020 is reduced from 32 months to 30 months.”

Wednesday’s announcement marks the return of the IDF draft to its original length of 30 months.

From the passage of the draft law in 1949, male draftees were required to serve 30 months.

This was extended in 1968 to 36 months, before being cut to 32 months in 2015. A year later, the Knesset passed a new draft reform law, cutting the service length to 30 months.