Israel's Supreme Court Orders Military Draft for Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Threatening Netanyahu's Coalition

Jun 25, 2024, 01:12 PM

Israel's Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, a landmark decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition. The ruling ends decades of exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men, who have been allowed to avoid compulsory military service. The court also mandated that government funding for religious schools that do not comply with the draft requirement be frozen starting April 1. There are about 60,000 eligible draftees from the haredi community. This decision comes amid ongoing conflict in Gaza and has sparked significant political and social repercussions, with some Orthodox leaders vehemently opposing the ruling.