IDF’s “One-Time Opportunity” Exposed as Empty Promise to Pressure Bnei Torah

On Sunday, the IDF unveiled a sweeping new campaign titled “Starting Over”, aimed at more than 14,000 so-called “draft evaders” — the vast majority of them bnei yeshiva. The army is advertising this move as a “one-time opportunity” to enlist without facing penalties, but the message is clear: this is not amnesty, it is pressure.

According to the army, men aged 18–28 can now “register by phone or online” and, if they report for training on time, they will supposedly avoid arrest warrants, travel bans, or criminal records. Military spokesmen claim this is a unique chance that will “not return.” Yet these promises ring hollow, with no concrete assurances, only threats thinly disguised as opportunity.

Behind the polished statements lies the reality: the government has failed to pass a draft law, exemptions for lomdei Torah remain unsettled, and the IDF is desperate for manpower. Military officials admit that the number of those they label “evaders” could grow by thousands in the coming months. In truth, the campaign is directed squarely at the Chareidi community, with vague talk of “special accommodations” for religious life — with no details and no reason to trust their word.

This effort comes in the wake of months of political upheaval in Yerushalayim, including the dismissal of key officials as coalition leaders scramble to push through draft legislation. Since October 7th, after thousands of soldiers were tragically killed or wounded, the army has stepped up its rhetoric about “universal conscription.” Yet even they admit that their campaign would count as “success” if only 500 young men were to cave to the pressure.

The message of Gedolei Yisrael remains unshaken: Torah is the true defense of Klal Yisrael. No campaign, no promise of “accommodations,” and no threats of arrest can change that eternal truth. The army may promise leniency today and revoke it tomorrow. They may dress up their threats in the language of opportunity. But the words of our Gedolim are clear — we must remain strong, unafraid, and faithful to Torah learning.

This is not the first time the IDF has dangled so-called “special terms” before the Chareidi tzibbur, and each time it became clear: their goal is not to accommodate lomdei Torah, but to uproot them from the beis midrash. As the Gedolim have reminded us, our strength lies not in caving to shifting government decrees, but in holding firm to limud Torah and the guidance of daas Torah.

The promises of man fade; the promise of Torah endures forever.