On Tuesday, Israel’s highest court decreed that ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students must be included in the mandatory military draft, a decision expected to jolt Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition government. The coalition is largely dependent on two ultra-Orthodox parties who view the longstanding exemption from mandatory service as crucial in ensuring their followers’ continued religious studies and preventing exposure to potentially challenging conservative beliefs in the culturally diverse military environment.
Over time, the exemption for ultra-Orthodox individuals from military service has become a contentious issue. With Israel’s armed forces, predominantly consisting of young conscripts and older civilians called up for reserve duty, spread thin due to a war being fought on multiple fronts, in Gaza and Lebanon.
In a unanimous verdict, the court stated, “Amidst an arduous war, the weight of inequality is now more pronounced than ever.” While the majority of Israelis have a legal obligation to serve in the army, ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students have enjoyed broad exemptions for years. – Reuters [Israeli bombing raids claim the lives of at least 24 in Gaza City, according to Gaza officials] This text is under Thomson Reuters’ copyright 2024.