Israeli police break up a protest by Haredi Jews against military conscription (Anatolia)
Israeli Channel 12 said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Supreme Court for an additional 30 days to reach approval of the controversial conscription law, amid the worsening dispute over the conscription of religious Jews (Haredim) between religious parties and a number of ministers.
In recent days, the Israeli government has failed to reach an acceptable formula regarding the recruitment of the Haredim, which makes them obligated to enlist starting Monday, early next April.
Israel is experiencing a severe political crisis due to the conscription law. While the religious parties oppose compromising the principle of exempting religious people from military service, ministers, including War Council member Benny Gantz, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and opposition leader Yair Lapid, are demanding an end to this exemption.
Army leaders had informed the Israeli Defense Minister that they needed to recruit about 20,000 additional soldiers so that the army could carry out routine tasks and military operations in various fields.
The website's military correspondent quoted senior army commanders as confirming that there is a great necessity for this additional recruitment in light of the increasing threats and intelligence estimates regarding the northern front with Lebanon.
Haaretz newspaper quoted a letter sent by the Israeli government's judicial advisor, Gali Behrav Meara, to the Israeli Supreme Court, stating that the recruitment of religious Haredim must begin from the beginning of next month.
The religious parties in the ruling coalition threatened to withdraw if the new conscription law was adopted, which abolishes the exemption enjoyed by religious Jews.
Netanyahu's right-wing government had sought to enact a law exempting the Haredim from military service, which opened the door wide to interactions in Israel between supporters and opponents, which heralded a crisis within the emergency government.
Since 2017, successive governments have failed to reach a consensus law regarding the recruitment of Haredim, after the Supreme Court annulled a law enacted in 2015, which ruled to exempt them from military service, considering that it violates the “principle of equality.”
Source: Al Jazeera + Israeli press