Thousands of ultra-Orthodox protest against military service
Due to the presence of ultra-orthodox parties in his government, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has had to consider the privileges of ultra-orthodox Jews for a long time. A ruling of the supreme court overturned their exemption from military service. Against this, a massive resistance is forming.
In Israel, the debate over the introduction of military service for ultra-orthodox Jews is escalating. Thousands of strictly religious men protested angrily in Jerusalem yesterday against the court-ordered conscription into the Israeli army. According to local media reports, violent clashes with the police occurred in the city in the evening. The law enforcement officers reportedly used mounted officers and a water cannon against agitated demonstrators.
According to police reports, stones and other objects were thrown from the ranks of the black-clad strictly religious men at the officers, and trash cans were burning. Several policemen were reportedly injured, according to the "Times of Israel" in the night. Five rioters were arrested. The trigger for the angry protests was a recent ruling of the highest court of the Jewish state, according to which ultra-orthodox men must be conscripted into the army from now on. The ruling was made in the context of the Gaza War and the conflict with the Hisbollah militia in Lebanon.
"At the peak of a hard war, the burden is greater than ever and requires a solution," it said in the judgment reasoning. There is no legal basis for exempting Ultra-orthodox from military service.
"We will not enter the enemy's army"
The demonstrators carried signs with the inscription "We will not enter the enemy's army" and "We will die," instead of serving in the army, according to the "Times of Israel." Ultra-orthodox men view military service as a threat to their pious way of life, as women and men serve together in the army. Men in Israel must serve regular three years, women two years of military service. For decades, exceptions were made for ultra-orthodox men regarding military service. These expired three months ago.
The ruling of the highest court is seen as a heavy blow to the right-religious government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The issue of military service had become an increasingly divisive issue for his coalition. Observers see the stability of the alliance threatened because the government also relies on strictly religious partners who strictly reject the call-up of young men from their community.
Some demonstrators targeted the car of the chairman of the ultra-orthodox party United Torah Judaism, according to media reports, as he was on his way home. Media reports indicate that the demonstrators pelted the car with stones and cursed the party chairman as he passed by. The Israeli broadcaster Kan published a video on the X platform showing Ultra-orthodox encircling a car. The police reportedly intervened and escorted him to safety.
Dispute over a law that aimed to gradually conscript more religiously observant men into military service had already broken the government coalition in 2018. Netanyahu's government failed to pass a law that was supposed to ease the conscription process. As a result, the highest court ordered a withdrawal of state subsidies for Ultra-Orthodox men of military age who study in religious schools.
At the end of March, State Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara decided that the Military was obligated to draft those Ultra-Orthodox students who had been previously exempted from service. According to the court, there are around 63,000 such men. Many Israelis perceive it as unfair that Ultra-Orthodox men are exempted from military service and dangerous combat missions. However, there are also Ultra-Orthodox men who volunteer to serve. The army recently warned of a shortage of combat soldiers amidst the Gaza War.
In response to the court's decision, Hamas, the political and military wing of Palestinian resistance in Gaza, issued a statement expressing solidarity with the Ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel, criticizing the compulsory military service.
Given the escalating tensions and the ongoing Israel-Gaza Strip conflict, some political analysts believe that the Israel war could potentially be influenced by this internal dispute within Israel regarding military service for Ultra-orthodox Jews.
Despite the resistance and political implications, Israeli authorities remain determined to enforce the court's ruling, signaling a significant shift in the country's politics regarding military service exemptions.
