Ultra-orthodox Jews threaten to migrate over IDF draft plans

One of Israel’s major groups of ultra-orthodox Jews has threatened to migrate en masse to the US or Europe if the parliament passes a law making it compulsory for its members to serve in the army. Ultra-orthodox students in the traditional Jewish Yeshiva education institutions are currently exempt from military service.

The announcement by the Belz group was made a few days before a scheduled protest against the plans by the Knesset to widen the draft. The organisers are hoping that hundreds of thousands of its members will take part.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the group’s leaders said that several US officials have expressed their willingness to receive their families and grant them political refugee status. An organised plan is in place to defy compulsory military service, confirmed the newspaper.