Haredi soldier Haim Treitel, who serves in the IDF's Givati Brigade and was wounded in Gaza, spoke on Tuesday evening about his decision to relinquish his status as a "yeshiva student" and enlist in the IDF.
Treitel said: "I remembered today the day I came to relinquish my status as a yeshiva student. I was at the recruitment office in Tel Hashomer, and the soldier there said to me, 'Are you sure you want to lower your status as a yeshiva student? Do you know what the consequences of this are?' I can say that after two years, I don't regret it for a moment."
Treitel was wounded in the leg during operational activity in Gaza, recovered and returned to serve in the IDF.
In the past week, Treitel was appointed assistant to Lt. Col. Avigdor Dickstein, head of the haredi branch of the IDF's Manpower Division.