Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel’s Supreme Court to extend the March 31 deadline for the government to submit a new draft military plan that will address widespread anger over exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The decades-old dispute has become particularly sensitive as the Israeli military, made up mostly of teenage conscripts and older civilians mobilized for reserve duty, is fighting a nearly six-month war in Gaza to try to eliminate the Islamic movement Hamas ruling the country. Palestinian enclave.
While the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to Netanyahu’s request, it ruled separately that state benefits to ultra-Orthodox men of military age who study in seminaries instead of serving in the army will be suspended starting Monday.
The two ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition, United Torah Judaism and Shas, denounced the decision as a sign of “Cain”. They vowed to fight for what they see as their members’ “right” to remain in the seminaries, but stopped short of threatening to leave the government.
Raising the pressure, Netanyahu’s attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, wrote in a court order that he saw no legal basis for delaying the recruitment of the ultra-Orthodox.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the appellants on appeal, arguing that the dismissal was discriminatory. Parliament has failed to formulate a new agreement and the government’s suspension on ultra-Orthodox conscription expires on Monday.
Supporters of the exemption include Netanyahu’s defense minister and other members of the ministry managing the war. They predict months of further fighting that will strain enlistments and fuel public calls for more egalitarian enlistments.
A senior Israeli official estimated that 5% of the population takes part in the Gaza conflict, which has spread to Lebanon and Syria and has attracted missiles from other Iran-aligned groups as far away as Yemen and Iraq.
But United Torah Judaism and Shas, which the conservative leader has long called for support, want to maintain the dispensations to preserve the ultra-Orthodox religious lifestyle.
In a letter to the Supreme Court published by his office, Netanyahu said he had “made important progress on the issue” but asked for a 30-day extension “to work out agreements.”
The war in Gaza has dominated the government’s attention and is at a turning point right now, he said.
The ultra-Orthodox represent 13% of Israel’s 10 million inhabitants and are expected to reach 19% by 2035 due to high birth rates. Economists argue that the draft exemptions needlessly keep some people in seminaries and out of the workforce, imposing a growing welfare burden on middle-class taxpayers.
Israel’s 21 percent Arab minority is also largely exempt from the draft, under which men and women are generally drafted at age 18. Men serve three years. Women, two.
Source: Terra
Mary is a professional journalist, working at 247 News Update. She writes on various topics from world news to general interest article, providing readers with relevant and informative content. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
