Israeli police confront demonstrators against the conscription law (Anadolu Agency)

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 content of the letter stated that “recruitment authorities must act with regard to the recruitment procedures for those whose service has been postponed according to the law or for those who have reached the Haredi conscription age, leaving the method of implementation for later.”

The letter also stated that the government will not be able to transfer budget funds to religious centers and schools for those who do not send a request for conscription and those who are not conscripts.

The newspaper added that the Israeli Attorney General's Office had opposed the attempt of Benjamin Netanyahu's government to extend the deadline for the draft law on conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The Board of Grievances had asked to extend the submission of the application until Thursday afternoon, which the newspaper considered a slap on the part of the judicial advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Withdrawal from the government

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth previously reported that the religious parties in the ruling coalition threatened to withdraw if a new conscription law was adopted that abolished the exemption enjoyed by religious Jews.

The newspaper added that the religious Jewish parties are threatening to withdraw from the government if the percentage of those who will be forced to conscript is determined in the draft law that the government is trying to pass.

For its part, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted the leaders of the Haredi parties as saying - during a meeting with Netanyahu - that the demands to put an end to the exemption of religious people from military service contradict the agreement to form the coalition.

Haredi leaders added that there is a fear that the rabbis will ask them to withdraw from the government if a new law abolishing the exemption is passed.

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.

Limit the exemption

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 calling for an end to this exemption.

Last Sunday, War Council member Benny Gantz threatened to withdraw if the Knesset approved a draft law maintaining the exemption of religious people from military conscription, and from Washington, Gallant announced that he would not support the draft law in its current form that maintains the exemption of the Haredim from military service.

As for the opposition leader, he attacked Netanyahu and the conscription law in its current form, and Lapid called on members of the Likud Party to oppose the proposed law, which he described as a conscription evasion law.

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 + agencies