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Israel military to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox seminary students next week

July 16, 2024 at 7:51 pm

Dozens of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, also known as Haredim gather to stage a protest against the compulsory military service in West Jerusalem on June 30, 2024 [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli military will, next week, begin issuing military draft summons to ultra-Orthodox seminary students who were previously exempt from military service, the military said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The issue is especially sensitive amid the war against Hamas in Gaza and related fighting on other fronts that have caused the worst Israeli casualties – mostly among secular draftees and reservists – in decades.

In June, Israel’s Supreme Court mandated the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students into the military, creating new political strains for Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Israeli military statement said that, starting next Sunday “the process of issuing initial summons orders for the first call-up” ahead of the upcoming July recruitment cycle would commence.

Netanyahu’s coalition includes two ultra-Orthodox parties that regard the exemptions as key to keeping their constituents in religious seminaries and away from a melting-pot military that might test their conservative values.

The issue has prompted protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews, who make up 13 per cent of Israel’s 10 million population – a figure expected to reach 19 per cent by 2035. Their refusal to serve in wars they generally support is a long festering schism in Israeli society.

Israel’s 21 per cent Arab minority is also largely exempted from the draft, under which men and women are generally called up at the age of 18, with men serving 32 months and women 24 months.

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