Israeli PM Netanyahu presents bill on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into military

Israel-Gaza War Updates
2024-05-15 | 08:43
High views
Share
LBCI
Share
LBCI
Whatsapp
facebook
Twitter
Messenger
telegram
print
Israeli PM Netanyahu presents bill on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into military
Whatsapp
facebook
Twitter
Messenger
telegram
print
2min
Israeli PM Netanyahu presents bill on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into military

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to present a highly contested bill that seeks to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military to a ministerial committee on Thursday.

His office said on Wednesday that Netanyahu sought to bridge societal and political divisions and that he was calling on all parties that had supported the proposed law in the previous parliament to back it once more.

The issue is especially sensitive this year amid an open-ended war in Gaza and related fighting on other fronts that have exacted the worst Israeli casualties - mostly among secular teenaged draftees and reservists - in decades.

Netanyahu's coalition includes two ultra-Orthodox parties that regard the exemptions as key to keeping their constituents in religious seminaries and away from a melting-pot military that might test their conservative values.

The issue has prompted protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews, who make up 13 percent of Israel's 10 million population - a figure expected to reach 19 percent by 2035. Their refusal to serve in wars they generally support is a long festering schism in Israeli society.

Economists argue that the conscription waiver keeps some of the ultra-Orthodox community unnecessarily out of the workforce, spelling a growing welfare burden for largely secular, middle-class taxpayers.

Israel's 21 percent Arab minority is also largely exempted from the draft, under which men and women are generally called up at the age of 18, with men serving 32 months and women 24 months.

Reuters
 
Israel Gaza War Updates 

Middle East News

Israel-Gaza War Updates

Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu

Jews

Military

LBCI Next
Hamas confirms submission of official response to hostage and ceasefire proposal: Official says
Download now the LBCI mobile app
To see the latest news, the latest daily programs in Lebanon and the world
Google Play
App Store
We use
cookies
We use cookies to make
your experience on this
website better.
Accept
Learn More