The government of Israel requested the high Court of Justice an extension of several weeks to finish preparing a recruitment plan for ultra-Orthodox Jewish students, who since April 1 and by order of this same court no longer enjoy military exemption.
The Israeli State presented an affidavit in which it undertakes to deliver on June 2 a detailed plan that, it said, will lead to the immediate recruitment of some members of the ultra-Orthodox population; which already represents 13% of Israeli society.
“The authorities are working hard on a plan for the gradual recruitment of the ultra-Orthodox community and implementing it immediately”reads the written statement, to which the Israeli newspaper Haarezt had access.
Following the delivery of this statement, the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapidcalled on the Israeli Government to “stop wasting time and recruit the ultra-Orthodox immediately.”
“You cannot say ‘together we will win’ if we do not mobilize together,” he added in the social network
Decades of military exemption
For decades, ultra-Orthodox Israelis were not required to enlist in the armed forces if they dedicated themselves full-time to religious studies of the Torah and other Talmudic texts.
However, in 2017 the Supreme Court determined that these exemptions were “discriminatory” and “unconstitutional” and asked the State to find a solution. But the different Israeli governments ignored that ruling, needing the ultra-Orthodox groups to form a coalition, so they extended an executive provision that redeemed them.
However, last year with the outbreak of war in Gaza and the need to recruit more than 300,000 men, as well as an upsurge in tension and violence in the occupied West Bank, the debate ignited like never before.
It is estimated that some 66,000 ultra-Orthodox young people are of age to serve in the Army, which is equivalent to about five military divisions. EFE (I)
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