The Israel Defense Forces “must grow, expand and become stronger,” IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Wednesday in a meeting with commanders from the Yonatan Battalion of the Hasmonean Brigade at the Israel-Lebanon border.
The Hasmonean Brigade is a specialized IDF infantry unit established to recruit ultra-Orthodox men in an environment where they can maintain their religious lifestyle.
Zamir told the commanders that in light of the lessons learned from the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel’s south, “We must increase our reinforcement and build more battalions and brigades capable of operating, defeating the enemy, and defending the State of Israel,” according to a statement released by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
The IDF chief stressed, “Your integration into the IDF is vital to the security of the State of Israel and the entire people of Israel,” and said that there is an increase in the enlistment of Haredi men into the IDF, both in combat and combat support roles.
“We must continue to replicate the Yonatan Battalion and develop the Hasmonean Brigade into a full combat brigade. We will continue moving forward toward one shared goal. I am proud of you and have full confidence in you,” Zamir was quoted as saying.
He continued to heap praise on the Hasmonean Brigade’s first regular service battalion, saying that it is “breaking new ground... This battalion is like Nachshon Ben Amminadav, who was the first to step into the sea and pave the way for the entire people. That is how you will be remembered in the history of our nation. As those who first broke new ground, your actions are making it possible to expand the enlistment of the ultra-Orthodox.”
