Israel to prepare, recruit international Jewish youth for IDF service - exclusive

The Defense and Diaspora Ministries are considering a new program to prepare and encourage the recruitment of diaspora Jewish youth to the IDF, according to an unpublished call for operation tenders.

The program is still not finalized, and all details are set to change. The program itself may not be established.

The unpublished tender described how ministries are hoping to increase the number of recruits for combat and important roles in the military.

A proposed 12-week program for youth aged 18-21 would prepare and strengthen their connection to Israel by familiarizing them with the country and heritage sites, introducing them to Israeli society, deepening Jewish Zionist identity, Hebrew language lessons, and physical and mental preparation for military service.

Multilingual tracks for IDF preparation

The potential program would have four tracks: two English-speaking, one French, and one Spanish. Each language track would have around 40 participants, hosted with full room and board. This would mean that the initial program would welcome 160 Diaspora Jews.

The Diaspora and Defense Ministry said in the unpublished document that they were looking for vendors with "at least 3 years of experience in running long-term educational programs for youth from the Diaspora with an emphasis on encouragement and preparation for recruitment into the IDF."