The Israeli army announced Sunday that it would begin sending draft notices to 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who were previously exempt from military service, a move that threatens to split the governing coalition.
"The army will begin this week issuing summons to complete the enlistment process for ultra-Orthodox men whose status as yeshiva (religious seminary) students is no longer valid following the expiration of the previous legal arrangement," the military said in a statement.
The conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews is a highly contentious issue for Netanyahu’s government.
Formed in December 2022, the coalition hinges on an alliance between Netanyahu's right wing Likud, far-right parties and those representing the ultra-Orthodox.
The latter have repeatedly demanded the premier to preserve a longstanding exemption from military service for their constituents that has become increasingly unpopular with other sections of Israeli society amid 21 months of war with Hamas in Gaza.
Under an arrangement dating back to the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi (God-fearing) in Hebrew, have been effectively exempted from military service as long as they dedicate themselves full-time to religious studies. That special status has been repeatedly challenged by Israel's Supreme Court since the early 2000s, forcing successive governments to craft temporary legal workarounds to placate ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.
Since June 2024, the government has come under growing pressure from the judiciary to begin drafting Haredi men after the expiration of the latest legal provisions guaranteeing their exemption. Last month, ultra-Orthodox parties came close to voting against the government over the issue during a confidence vote before a last-minute compromise was reached on renewing the exemption.
"Draft notices will be sent out in waves throughout the month of July, eventually totaling 54,000 call-up orders," the military statement said. "The military will continue efforts to expand enlistment among the ultra-Orthodox public, while working to ensure the best possible conditions that respect their unique way of life," it added. Ultra-Orthodox Jews account for about 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population -some 1.3 million people- and roughly 66,000 men of military age currently benefit from the exemption.
While some ultra-Orthodox rabbis argue that Torah study protects the country as much as the military does, others fear conscription could lead young men to abandon religious observance.
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