The Israeli Supreme Court is reviewing challenges to exemptions from military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a contentious issue exacerbated by the ongoing Gaza conflict. The court previously voided a law allowing these exemptions, and the government has yet to find a new solution. Prime Minister Netanyahu is negotiating with ultra-Orthodox coalition partners to avoid a court-mandated draft, as the need for military personnel grows amid high troop casualties. The ultra-Orthodox community, making up 13% of the population, argues that conscription would disrupt their religious studies and lifestyle.
Israel's largest protests in six months have seen calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, but it's the demonstrations by ultra-Orthodox Jews against mandatory conscription that may pose the biggest risk to his grip on power. Netanyahu faces criticism for his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with internal discord and international condemnation. The issue of conscripting yeshiva students has caused fractures in his far-right coalition government, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and potential successor Benny Gantz supporting an end to exemptions, while coalition members threaten to bring down the government unless the funding is protected. Netanyahu's challenge is to negotiate a compromise or call one side's bluff to prevent a collapse of his government.
The automatic exemption for yeshiva students from military service in Israel has expired, marking a significant change within the ultra-Orthodox community. While immediate changes may not be apparent, there is a growing realization among some that true integration into Israeli society is necessary, despite the historical exemption for Torah study.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing a coalition crisis over the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Jews, a Russian journalist who covered Navalny’s trial has been arrested for extremism, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has fired a senior aide in a continuing reshuffle, a meeting between Orbán and Trump in Florida has been slammed by Biden, and Germany is probing a leak in Russia of audio purportedly showing talks on Ukraine aid.
Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz threatens to quit the national emergency government if proposed legislation continues to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory military service, calling it a "serious moral failure." The bill, which has not been made public, perpetuates disputed military exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews and has sparked opposition within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own right-wing Likud party. The exemptions have long been a source of friction, with critics arguing that they keep many ultra-Orthodox Jews out of the workforce and are unfair to other Israelis.
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that a new conscription law to end the blanket exemption for ultra-Orthodox Israelis should only be promoted with the consent of all coalition parties, including the ultra-Orthodox parties themselves. He emphasized the need for all citizens to share the burden of military service, calling for a joint effort to bring forward a plan for ultra-Orthodox IDF service. This proposal has sparked reactions from various political figures and factions, with tensions rising over the issue of conscription.
A video showing ultra-Orthodox Jews spitting on the ground near a procession of Christian worshippers carrying a wooden cross in Jerusalem has sparked outrage and condemnation. Concerns have been raised about the increasing harassment of the city's Christian community since Israel's conservative government came to power. The incident has drawn rare outrage from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior figures. Activists have documented a rise in attacks against Christians, including spitting, stone-throwing, and vandalism. Critics argue that the government's ultranationalist members have emboldened Jewish extremists and created a sense of impunity.
