In Israel, Haredi Jews have been exempted from the military for decades under the guise of religious studies. The issue has even threatened to topple the Israeli government.
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the country’s government must immediately start recruiting Haredi Jews into the army, as well as the rest of the population. Among other things, the news covered the matter The Times of Israel.
The decision is historic. In Israel, military service applies to both men and women. However, Haredi Jews have practically been exempted from the army under the guise of religious studies.
The law that allowed the exception expired in June 2023. The government continued the exception, but now the Supreme Court ruled the government’s decision illegal.
The topic has plagued Israeli society for decades, but especially during the Gaza war. From the point of view of many Israeli voters, it is questionable that a large part of the population does not participate in national defense. On the other hand, the two haredi parties in the government coalition, UTJ and Shas, have threatened to overthrow the government if the exception is waived.
On Tuesday, the parties rejected the Supreme Court’s decision. Defiant messages have been issued from the parties, according to which Haredi Jews cannot be prevented from devoting themselves to religious studies instead of the army.
However, the UTJ MP said for The Times of Israelthat the party is not leaving the government so quickly in the middle of the war.
The court’s decision emphasizes that it does not take a position on how many Haredi Jews must be recruited into the army and how quickly. The court made it clear that recruitment can be started gradually, as long as it starts immediately.
There are an estimated 67,000 Haredi Jewish men in Israel who meet the criteria for military service.