The Israeli parliament has approved legislation effectively preventing ultra-Orthodox men from being drafted into the army. This move is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition efforts to gain favor with religious political parties ahead of the upcoming elections in autumn.
Members of parliament held extended sessions on Monday and Tuesday to vote on two key measures. One measure freezes arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, while the other formally recognizes Jewish religious studies as a fundamental state value. These laws are significant compromises by Netanyahu’s Likud party to ultra-Orthodox politicians who advocate for formalizing their community’s exemption from the mandatory military service required for most Jewish men and women in Israel.
The military faces severe personnel shortages, and many Israelis are frustrated with a long-standing system enabling ultra-Orthodox men to avoid service. Approximately 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the draft age of 18 each year, yet less than 10% enlist, according to a parliamentary committee. The legislation comes after nearly three years of conflicts—spanning from Gaza to Lebanon and Iran—and prior to the Israeli Knesset’s summer recess. Parliaments will resume only days before the next parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27, also seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership during wartime.
Netanyahu, serving more terms than any other Israeli head of government, seeks ultra-Orthodox support in the forthcoming elections. Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, head of the Israel Democracy Institute’s Religion and State program, stated, “Netanyahu aims to ensure the ultra-Orthodox negotiate exclusively with him post-elections.” However, Netanyahu faces strong opposition, even from within his party and from the chief of the General Staff.
In a letter to Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, military chief Eyal Zamir opposed the bills, labeling them “clearly and unequivocally incompatible” with army needs, as reported by local media. He wrote, “It is inconceivable that the military system under my command, demanding unprecedented sacrifice from its personnel, should participate in granting massive exemptions.”
Exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox date back to Israel’s founding in 1948, when a few students sought to revive Jewish scholarly studies decimated during the Holocaust. Later, the Supreme Court ruled these exemptions illegal. Legal experts indicate the new law, which formalizes Torah study—the foundational Jewish text—provides the state a legal basis to counter the court’s opinions.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid described the law as “an absolute desecration of God’s name” and “an affront” to Israeli soldiers. Ultra-Orthodox legislator Moshe Gafni, who spearheaded the bill, hailed its passage as historic, stating, “For thousands of years, Torah study preserved the Jewish people throughout the diaspora and generations.” He added that the law “will be a compass for the state’s values.”
Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel.
Leave a Reply