Israeli supreme court says ultra-Orthodox Jews must serve in military in fresh blow to Netanyahu

Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from the draft

Israeli police officers remove an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man from the street during a protest against army recruitment in Jerusalem on June 2, 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Israel‘s Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza.

The court ruled on Tuesday that, in the absence of a law that distinguishes between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israel‘s compulsory military service system applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizens.

Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women.

These exemptions have long been a source of anger among the secular public, a divide that has widened during the eight-month-old war, as the military has called up tens of thousands of soldiers and says it needs all the manpower it can get. More than 600 soldiers have been killed.

Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Mr Netanyahu’s governing coalition, oppose any change in the current system.

If the exemptions are ended, they could leave the coalition, causing the government to collapse and leading to new elections.

The court decision comes at a sensitive time, as the war in Gaza drags on into its ninth month and the number of dead soldiers continues to mount.

The court found that the state was carrying out “invalid selective enforcement, which represents a serious violation of the rule of law, and the principle according to which all individuals are equal before the law”.

It did not say how many ultra-Orthodox should be drafted.

Ultra-Orthodox men attend special seminaries which focus on religious studies, with little attention on secular topics like maths, English or science. Critics have said they are ill-prepared to serve in the military or enter the secular workforce.

The ruling now sets the stage for growing friction within the coalition between those who support drafting more ultra-Orthodox and those who oppose the idea.

Ultra-Orthodox politicians are likely to face intense pressure from religious leaders and their constituents and may have to choose whether remaining in the government is worthwhile for them.

“It can worsen tensions in the coalition,” said Shuki Friedman, vice-president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.

He said the ultra-Orthodox “understand that they don’t have a better political alternative, but at same time their public is saying ‘Why did we vote for you?”’