Today's Video Headlines: 6/25/24
Israel ’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service, a landmark decision that could lead to theThe historic ruling effectively puts an end to a decades-old system that granted ultra-Orthodox men broad exemptions from military service while maintaining mandatory enlistment for the country’s secular Jewish majority.
In the current environment, Netanyahu could have a hard time delaying the matter any further or passing laws to restore the exemptions. During arguments, government lawyers told the court that forcing ultra-Orthodox men to enlist would “tear Israeli society apart.”The court ruled that in the absence of a law, Israel’s compulsory military service applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizen.
Netanyahu claims weapons supplies from US dropped 4 months ago and he only went public as a last resort Israel’s ultra-Orthodox make up roughly 13% of the 9.9 million population. The community has a high birthrate, making it the fastest-growing segment of the population, at about 4% annually. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox males reach the conscription age of 18 but less than 10% enlist, according to the Israeli parliament’s State Control Committee.
The court ruling does not address the status of Israel’s Palestinian citizens, who are not expected to serve and most of whom do not. As descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel after the 1948 war that led to its creation, their ties to the military are fraught and some in Israel see them as a fifth column because of their solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which has helped lead the challenge against the exemptions, called on the government to immediately draft all eligible seminary students. “This is their legal and moral duty, especially in light of the complex security situation and the urgent need for personnel” in the army, said Tomer Naor, head of the group’s legal department.
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