Under the order of the Supreme Court, Prime Minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, has been put in a precarious situation to deal with the most significant threat to his co-governance. The contentious situation arose after a halt on Monday to government funding for numerous ultra-Orthodox men was enacted, the men, who refuse military duty, have historically enjoyed an absence of conscription.
The court’s verdict is subsequent to the government’s procrastinated furnishing of a scheme to encourage military recruitment of ultra-Orthodox men before the court. The court has previously declared the existing scheme as prejudiced, mandating the government to develop a fresh plan by Monday and implement it by the end of June. In search for an agreeable solution, Netanyahu, who governs with parties pro and con ultra-Orthodox conscription, has requested the judiciary for one more month.
Military service in Israel is obligated by law, however, an exception was provided for ultra-Orthodox Jews, known as Haredi. They continue their complete Torah study time and receive government allowance. With the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has caused the death of 500 soldiers in a span of almost six months, both government and opposition legislators have expressed their stand, placing the burden of increased military obligations on the Haredi society instead of foisting additional responsibilities on the already enlisted individuals.
Political contender of Netanyahu, Benny Gantz lauded the court’s verdict and voiced his approval to step down from the interim unity government due to this issue. He notes the court’s acknowledgment of the need for increased soldier recruitment during a difficult war and that everyone in the society should contribute to the honor of serving the nation.
The development could lead to far-reaching political and societal repercussions. Netanyahu is facing hardship in bridging the significant disparity over military duty present in the unstable coalition government formed after the Oct 7th’s Hamas attack.
Proponents of reassessing the exemption include the defence secretary and other cabinet personnel handling the conflict, who anticipate prolonged warfare that will deplete resources and ignite public demand for a more justified recruitment. United Torah Judaism and Shas, the two ultra-Orthodox factions in Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition, have lambasted the verdict as a “mark of Cain”. Shas’s chief, Aryeh Deri, deemed the court’s decision as “unusual intimidation of Torah students in the Jewish state”.
The state of Israel could be compelled to conduct new elections if the ultra-Orthodox political entities decide to withdraw from the government. The current Prime Minister, Netanyahu, is lagging behind in the public opinion polls.
A fallback plan proposing an extension in military service duration for conscripts and elevation of the age requirement for reserves has been rebuffed by the Haredi parties. The plan also suggested abolishing the traditional exemptions granted to students of yeshiva. Certain Haredi men have indicated that they would prefer imprisonment than being conscripted.
The tradition of exempting began not long after the establishment of Israel, enabling around 400 yeshiva students to evade conscription. As the Haredi demographic has grown, comprising roughly 12% of Israel’s 9 million citizens, several avoid military enrolment and subsist on government subsidies for religious academics.
Israel’s Sephardi primary rabbi, Yizhak Yosef, warned last Saturday that the mass exodus of Haredim from Israel will occur if their exemption from obligatory service is not continued.
Netanyahu appealed to the supreme court last Thursday, beseeching the justices to postpone the March 31st deadline set for the government to devise a new military conscription strategy. He cited that more time was necessary to reach a satisfactory agreement. However, his plea was left unanswered by the justices. This information is credited to the Guardian, with additional reports from Reuters and AP.