Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel can choose to study religion instead of military service. Up to the age of 26, the ultra-orthodox can also receive a state subsidy for their studies.
Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that the exemption is discriminatory and the government has had until today, March 31, to come up with new legislation to be hammered out by June 30 at the latest.
This week, Netanyahu’s government requested more time – the court granted another month but at the same time decided to freeze the grant for religious studies from Monday 1 April.
“There are no immediate solutions”
The ultra-orthodox cooperation parties threaten to leave the government if the exception disappears – and the secular ones threaten to leave if the exception remains.
Anders Persson, political scientist at Linnaeus University, says that the issue is very tricky for Netanyahu.
– At the moment, there do not seem to be any immediate solutions.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has a history of surviving political crises.
– Netanyahu is sometimes called the “magician”. We’ll see if he has a rabbit he can pull out of his hat and find a magical solution to this. Or a compromise, or a new procrastination.
According to Persson, what speaks against a government collapse is that none of the parties seem to be able to profit from a new election.
Exception since 1948
Most Jewish men in Israel have a mandatory duty to serve in the military for at least three years. Jewish women have a compulsory service of two years.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews have escaped conscription since Israel’s creation in 1948. Since then, the group has grown to make up 13 percent of Israel’s population—and in 40 years, the ultra-Orthodox are predicted to make up a third of the country’s population.