Seminary students have been exempt from compulsory military service for decades.
Israel’s Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the military must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students into military service, as the war in Gaza stretches into its ninth month and Israel faces a shortage of manpower.
“At this time, there is no legal framework that makes it possible to distinguish between yeshiva students and those destined for military service,” the court said. “Accordingly, the state does not have the authority to order a blanket avoidance of their conscription.”
The exemptions have long sparked anger among secular Israelis and the rift has deepened further since the military called up thousands of soldiers following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict.
“These days, in the midst of a difficult war, the burden of that inequality is more acute than ever – and requires the advancement of a sustainable solution to this issue,” the Supreme Court justices wrote in their ruling.
The court said there are currently 63,000 draft-age Haredi young men.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews view their full-time religious study as fundamental in preserving Judaism, and distance themselves from secular society, particularly the military, in compliance with strict observance of the faith.
Haredi parties have staunchly opposed attempts to enlist seminary students in the military. The ruling has been condemned by the United Torah Judaism and Shas, two ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
United Torah Judaism leader Yitzhak Goldknopf wrote on X on Tuesday that the ruling was “expected and very unfortunate.”
“The State of Israel was established to be a home for the Jewish people whose Torah is the bedrock of its existence. The Holy Torah will prevail,” he said.
Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israel would continue its campaign in Gaza until it achieves “total victory” over the Palestinian militant group Hamas. He told Israeli media that some of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) manpower would “shift north” to focus on the border with Lebanon as Israel faces off with the Hezbollah militant group.
Israel to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews
The defense minister has approved conscripting members of the community starting next month, according to reports.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has approved a plan to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the armed forces starting next month, the Defense Ministry has said, as cited by local media. Until now, members of the religious community have been exempted from IDF service.
The announcement comes two weeks after a landmark decision by the country’s top court on June 25 that there is no legal basis for not conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have largely not been drafted since the foundation of Israel in 1948.
The authorization reportedly followed an assessment meeting on Tuesday with the military’s chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, and other officials. Following discussions, Gallant approved the process of issuing draft notices to ultra-Orthodox Jews over the coming month, reports say.
The step is being implemented “in accordance with the [IDF’s] absorption and screening capabilities, and after a significant process of refining the existing data regarding potential recruits,” according to the statement, as quoted by the media.
Last month, the High Court of Justice not only invalidated the waiver granted to ultra-Orthodox Jews 76 years ago, but also ordered Israeli authorities to halt funding for religious schools, or yeshivas, whose students avoid the draft.
The judgement came amid a growing feeling of irritation from secular Israelis as the war in Gaza stretches into its tenth month and Israel faces a manpower shortage. Earlier this month, Gallant said that the country’s army needed some 10,000 new soldiers.
In Israel, military service is obligatory for most citizens – men and women – who commonly begin serving at the age of 18. Israelis must spend 24-32 months in the IDF.
The Israeli government launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza in October, shortly after a cross-border incursion by Hamas in which at least 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken captive. Around 116 hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza.
The hostilities allegedly claimed over 38,000 lives, while over 87,000 people have been wounded in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
The death toll among Israeli troops since the launch of the operation stands at 325, and at 681 on all fronts since the Hamas-led incursion, according to official data.
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