Israel’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Tuesday that the military must begin recruiting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could bring about the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues its attack on Gaza.
The court ruled that, absent a law distinguishing between Jewish seminary students and other conscripts, Israel’s conscription system applies to ultraortodoxos like any other citizen.
For a long time now, the ultraorthodox men are exempt from compulsory military servicewhich is applicable to most Jewish men and women.
These exemptions have long been a source of anger between him secular public, a division that has expanded during the eight-month-long war, as the Army has called up tens of thousands of soldiers and says it needs all the manpower it can get. More than 600 soldiers have died.
Powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, oppose any changes to the current system. If the exemptions are ended, they could fall out of the coalitioncausing the collapse of the Government and giving rise to new elections.
