Israeli army to draft haredi man seen kissing woman on Facebook

Marcy Oster

The army sent a draft notice to a Haredi man man based on a Facebook photo of him kissing a woman, saying his request for a deferment based on religious observance was a ruse, Channel 10 reported. (Screenshot from Channel 10)

The army sent a draft notice to a Haredi man man based on a Facebook photo of him kissing a woman, saying his request for a deferment based on religious observance was a ruse, Channel 10 reported. (Screenshot from Channel 10)

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israel Defense Forces will draft a man who claimed an exemption from military service because he is haredi Orthodox after his ex-girlfriend posted a photo on Facebook showing them kissing.

The post also described a sexual relationship between the two of them, Israel’s Channel 10 reported Sunday.

The army sent a draft notice to the man based on the photo, saying his request for a deferment based on religious observance was a ruse, Channel 10 reported.

Orthodox Jews traditionally refrain from touching members of the opposite sex except for their spouses after marriage.

Channel 10 reported that the IDF was considering opening a special cyber unit to track on social media haredi Orthodox students who ask for deferments to see if they are legitimately observant. If the students are discovered to be lying, the IDF said they would be drafted immediately.