JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel’s military said Tuesday it will begin sending draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men next week – a move that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and lead to more major protests in the community.
The announcement came after Historic order issued by the Supreme Court Young religious men were to begin conscription into the military. Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men were exempt from conscription, which is mandatory for most Jewish men.
The exemptions have sparked resentment among the Israeli public, especially after more than nine months of war against Hamas militants in Gaza. GazaThe call-up is the start of a months-long recruitment process that could be difficult to implement if there is widespread refusal to comply. The military has not said when it expects the ultra-Orthodox men to begin serving or how many have received the new notices.
The court ruled that the exemption system, which allows religious men to study at yeshivas while others are forced to serve in the military, is discriminatory. Ultra-Orthodox leaders say religious study is just as important to the country’s future and that their way of life, which has been around for generations, would be threatened if their followers served in the military.
Netanyahu’s government relies on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties that oppose any changes to the system. The religious leaders have not announced what steps they will take. If they withdraw from the ruling coalition, the government is likely to collapse and the country will go to early elections two years ahead of schedule.
The army’s announcement may also lead to DisordersPrevious attempts to recruit religiously radical men have sparked widespread public protests in religiously conservative communities.
A demonstration against the draft was scheduled for earlier Tuesday evening in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish city of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv.
On Monday night, dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews surrounded the cars of senior military commanders who were meeting with local rabbis in Bnei Brak to discuss an ultra-Orthodox unit in the army. The crowd threatened the officers, calling them “murderers” and threw bottles, according to Israeli media.