The IDF has confirmed that it will begin to offer fresh meals complying with the highest level of kosher certification.
The army said that Charedi soldiers will now be able to access freshly cooked food in keeping with mehadrin requirements, which allow for no leniency in its preparation.
This includes the complete separation of meat and dairy products at all stages of the cooking process and a prohibition on fruit from trees planted in the last three years.
This must be certified by on-site inspections carried out by verified rabbis on a regular basis.
Previously, mehadrin meals were only available in sealed food trays which were prepared and certified elsewhere before being brought onto military bases under supervision.
Now, though, the army will be able to prepare and cook mehadrin-certified food on-site, meaning strictly-Orthodox troops can largely enjoy the same meals as their more liberal counterparts.
An IDF spokesperson said the move would “improve and expand the provision of meals for soldiers requiring mehadrin kosher food, as well as for those with medical sensitivities and all service members.”
Brigadier General Avinoam Emunah, advisor to Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir on Charedi affairs, added: “The IDF is not satisfied with ensuring that a Charedi soldier can serve in the IDF and maintain his way of life.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that he receives the conditions that will allow him to serve well, respectfully, and for the long term.”
It comes amid a significant push to conscript young Charedi men, which has developed into a highly contentious political row.
Earlier this week, Israel’s Tax Authority expanded financial sanctions against Charedi educational institutions that allow people evading mandatory military service to study there.
The authority has sent letters to around 1,000 yeshivas requiring them to declare that none of their students are evading IDF service. Institutions that fail to comply could lose their recognition under Section 46 of Israel’s tax law, which allows donors to claim tax credits on contributions to approved organisations.
Tax exemption on donations can amount to hundreds of millions of shekels (tens of millions of pounds) a year.
There have also been mass protests by Charedim against the move, some of which have seen police, journalists and soldiers assaulted, while the issue is expected to play a key part in the debate between political parties running up to the Knesset elections in October.
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