The Israeli Supreme Court ruled unanimously that ultra-Orthodox men must be drafted for military service, as the country’s war in Gaza continues.
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a unanimous decision that ultra-Orthodox men must be drafted for military service.
The court said without a law that distinguishes between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israel’s compulsory military service system applies to the ultra-Orthodox, as it does with other citizens, according to The Associated Press.
Ultra-Orthodox men have long been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women.
The exemptions have sparked anger among the secular public and led to more division amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas terrorists, as the military has called up tens of thousands of soldiers for its conflict in Gaza. More than 600 soldiers have been killed in the eight-month-long war.
Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, which are key partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, do not support any change to the current system. If the exemptions end, the governing coalition could collapse and prompt new elections.
