JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli army said Tuesday it will begin sending conscription notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men starting next week, a move that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and spark even larger protests within the community.
This announcement was made Supreme Court’s landmark order Beginning the enlistment of young religious men into military service. A long-standing political arrangement had exempted ultra-Orthodox men from military service, which is mandatory for most Jewish men.
The exemptions have created resentment among Israeli civilians, especially after more than nine months of war with Hamas militants in Israel. GazaThe military draft notice marks the start of a months-long enlistment process that could be difficult to enforce if there are large-scale rejections. The military did not say when ultra-Orthodox Jewish men were scheduled to begin their service or how many men had received the new notices.
The court ruled that an exemption system that allowed religious men to study at Jewish seminaries while forcing others to serve in the military was discriminatory. Ultra-Orthodox leaders say religious studies are equally important to the country’s future and that military service for their followers threatens a way of life passed down for generations.
Netanyahu’s government relies on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties that oppose regime change. Clerical leaders have not said what steps they might take. If they were to withdraw from the ruling coalition, it would likely topple his government and push the country into elections two years earlier than planned.
The military statement also said: anxietyPast attempts to get ultra-Orthodox men to join have sparked massive protests within the ultra-Orthodox community.
An anti-draft demonstration was planned for Tuesday night in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv.
On Monday night, dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews surrounded a car carrying senior military commanders who were meeting with local rabbis in Bnei Brak to discuss ultra-Orthodox Jewish units in the military. According to Israeli media, the crowd called the commanders “murderers” and threatened them with bottles.
