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A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews line up outside an Israeli draft office
Photo: Hannah McKay / REUTERS
Shortly before a deadline for an agreement in the dispute over the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews into military service, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Supreme Court for a postponement. Netanyahu called for 30 more days to reach an agreement within his right-wing government, which relies on support from ultra-Orthodox parties.
Actually, a compromise should have been found by Thursday evening. If an agreement is not reached, ultra-Orthodox Jews could be called up for military service from April 1st and thus also be used in the war against the radical Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox allies vehemently reject convening their community members.
In Israel, men have to do military service for almost three years, women for two years. In 1948, the country's founder, David Ben-Gurion, agreed to exempt Jewish religious students from military service. At that time, however, it was only a matter of a few hundred men. Today, the strictly religious make up around 13 percent of the country's almost ten million inhabitants. Many ultra-Orthodox feel military service is a threat to their pious lifestyle, in part because women and men serve together. However, according to military sources, more people from the group want to serve in the army after Hamas' terrorist attack. You can read more about conscription and ultra-Orthodox here.
Suspension of this exception has taken on new urgency since the war began on October 7th. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara recently stated that there is no legal framework for the existing exemption.
Almost two weeks ago, thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv for the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army. Many devoutly religious men in Israel try to avoid military service, which causes great anger in other parts of the population.
svs/AFP