The Israel Defense Forces are aiming to boost recruiting outside the country to help fill the ranks amid a growing manpower shortage in the military, The Jerusalem Post reported this week.

The IDF is exploring the possibility of reaching out to the Jewish diaspora, or those outside Israel, to encourage more adults between 18 and 25 to enlist. The move would be a response to a shortage of 10,000-12,000 soldiers and a lack of enlistment from Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, according to the newspaper, which cited an official Army Radio news report.

The immediate goal is to recruit 600 to 700 additional soldiers for the IDF. They would primarily be coming from France and the U.S.

The IDF this week initiated a temporary amnesty program to let draft dodgers in Israel fulfill their obligation without any penalty. The Jerusalem Post said the IDF lists about 14,600 deserters considered at large.

The IDF on Wednesday announced that 60,000 reservists would be called up in the coming days ahead of a large-scale military push into the Gaza Strip.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.