Political crisis in Israel over the conscription of ultra-Orthodox students. The law on their exemption from military service expires this Sunday, March 31 in the evening without any solution having been found.
1 min
With our correspondent in Israel, Michael Paul
This is the subject that deeply divides Israelis for decades, but in the middle of the war in Gaza more than ever. The law that allows exemption from military service For Yeshiva students, Talmudic institutes are increasingly discussed. Originally, Israel’s first head of government, David Ben-Gurion, allowed some 400 ultra-Orthodox people to study the Torah and sacred texts instead of serving in the army.
Tens of thousands exempt
They are now dozens of thousands to benefit from this exemption. There is general agreement that a change is necessary. The current law extended four times expires this evening at midnight. And, in principle, therefore from tomorrow, young ultra-Orthodox people could be forced to perform military service.
A solution at the very last moment?
Initially, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the cessation of funding for rabbinical schools and scholarships granted to their students. A situation which, in theory, could lead to the fall of the current Israeli government and provoke new elections. An improbable scenario, however. In the past, these kinds of crises ended up being resolved – sometimes in a shaky way – and often at the very last moment.
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