Reactions as Israel's high court orders army to draft ultra-Orthodox men

(25 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jerusalem - 25 June 2024
1. Various of Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem’s religious Mea Shearim neighbourhood
2. Various of holy books
3. Posters at religious Mea Shearim neighbourhood reading (Hebrew) “do turn up for enlistment, even for an exemption.”
4. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Meir, last name not given:
“I think that only God protects us, you maybe think that the army is protecting you. This is not right. There is only one who protects us, and so we will not join the army, because he (God) said to join (the army), and we only obey him, because he protects us from all.”
5. Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem’s religious Mea Shearim neighbourhood
6. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Israel, last name not given:
“If the army will let the Ultra-Orthodox run the army, for us to run it, we may join it. The problem is that they want to run the army, and for us to join it.”
7. Graffiti on wall reading (Hebrew) “Zionist = Nazis”
8. Sign at Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem’s religious Mea Shearim neighbourhood reading (English) “please do not pass through our neighbourhood in immodest clothes.”
9. Poster at religious Mea Shearim neighbourhood reading, at bottom (Hebrew) “death is better than to go to the army“
10. Poster at religious Mea Shearim neighbourhood reading, at top (Hebrew) “the fund for fighting military recruitments”
11. Graffiti on wall reading (Hebrew) “passage for Zionists is not allowed.”
12. Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem’s religious Mea Shearim neighbourhood
STORYLINE:
Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday 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 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 exempted 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.

Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, oppose any change in the current system. If the exemptions are ended, they could desert 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.

AP video by Alon Bernstein.

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