No army service, no funds for ultra-Orthodox schools — Israeli top court
Supreme Court orders termination of government funding from April 1 for religious seminaries catering exclusively to ultra-Orthodox men who are of enlistment age and refuse active army duty and deployment to Gaza.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews line up at an Israeli draft office to process their exemptions from mandatory military service at a recruitment base in Tel Aviv / Photo: Reuters
Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that the far-right government can no longer fund religious seminaries for ultra-Orthodox men of enlistment age, as Israel suffers a manpower shortage because of the nearly six-month invasion of Gaza.
The dramatic ruling on Thursday capped off a week of tense negotiations over mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who used to be historically exempted from military duties. Faced with fierce resistance by Palestinian fighters in its ongoing war on Gaza, Israel now wants religious students to enlist for the army.
In its decision, the court said that funding for religious students between the ages of 18 and 26 will be cut off on April 1.
Under longstanding agreements, Israel has granted ultra-Orthodox men exemptions from military service that is otherwise compulsory for most Jewish males.
The exemptions, along with stipends for religious students, have generated widespread anger, especially with the country fighting Palestinian resistance groups in besieged Gaza.
The ultra-Orthodox say that integrating into the army will threaten their generations-old way of life.
Manpower shortage
Among Israel's Jewish majority, mandatory military service is largely seen as a melting pot and rite of passage, and the army says it is suffering a manpower shortage because of the nearly six-month invasion of Gaza.
The ruling will affect approximately a third of the 180,000 yeshiva students who receive subsidies from the government for full-time learning, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
The Supreme Court also has ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to present a new proposal to increase ultra-Orthodox enlistment by the end of March. Netanyahu, whose coalition of extremists parties relies heavily on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties, on Thursday asked the court for a 30-day extension.
Benny Gantz, Netanyahu's top political rival and a centrist member of the war cabinet, praised the court's decision, saying it recognised "the need for everyone in our society to take part in the right to serve the country."
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