ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO START DRAFTING ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEWS

Wed 10 July 2024:

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant approved a plan on Tuesday to start drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military, a move likely to further strain relations within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fractious right-wing coalition, Reuters has reported.

Netanyahu’s coalition government relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties that regard conscription exemptions as key to keeping their constituents in religious seminaries and out of a melting-pot army that might test their traditional customs. Their political leaders are fiercely opposed to conscription at a time when Israel’s army is seeking to bolster its ranks amid the nine-month-old war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

After discussions with top military officials, Gallant approved their recommendations for a so-called first call-up of ultra-Orthodox men into the military over the coming month, explained the Defence Ministry. The order is for an initial screening and evaluation to determine potential recruits, it said. Initial call-ups are sent to Israelis when they are over 16 years old and they usually begin military service at the age of 18.

Israelis are bound by law to serve in the military for 24-32 months. Members of Israel’s 21 per cent Arab minority are mostly exempt, although some do serve, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students have also been largely exempted for decades.

However, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled last month that the occupation state must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students into the military. The long-time military waiver for the ultra-Orthodox has sparked protests in recent months by Israelis angry that the risk of fighting in Gaza is not being shared equally. In response to the plan, ultra-Orthodox protesters have blocked roads under the banner “death before conscription”.

-MEMO

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