By BBC News World
Jun 25, 2024, 09:40 AM EDT
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students must be drafted into the army.
The historic resolution marks the end of the military exemption for ultra-Orthodox who study in yeshivot (Torah study centers).
This has been a point of contention for decades in Israel as the rest of the country’s Jews must perform mandatory military service.
The court’s decision – determined unanimously by its 9 judges – comes in the midst of the war in Gaza.
Israeli military leaders have complained of a shortage of soldiers and have requested a more equitable distribution of the security burden.
The court ruling means potentially tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men could now be recruited.
The ultra-Orthodox Jewish community represents around 12% of the population in Israel.
The court also ruled a freeze on public funding for Jewish seminaries whose students evade mandatory military service.
Political consequences for Netanyahu
The court’s resolution puts Israel’s prime minister in trouble, Benjamin Netanyahu.
His government has important support from two coalitions that represent the ultra-Orthodox – called Shas and United Torah Judaism (JUT) – and that are strongly opposed to military enlistment.
In fact, the parties have threatened to abandon the current government coalition if the measure comes to fruition, jeopardizing Netanyahu’s support in parliament since they hold 18 seats.
After the ruling was announced, one of the JUT leaders and deputy, Moshe Gafnisaid: “There is not a single judge there who understands the value of Torah study and its contribution to the people of Israel.”
The military exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is not a law, but an executive provision that is periodically extended.
Recently, the legal agreement that allowed it to be extended once again expired and that is when the Supreme Court took up the case.
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