Israel’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that the army must begin conscripting formerly exempt members of the ultra-Orthodox community.
The landmark decision comes after decades of debate over whether Israel’s most religiously observant community should be exempted from the country’s mandatory military service. The Haredi community, as it is known, and more conservative Israelis want the exemption to continue.
Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas, in addition to concerns that Israel could be involved in a two-front war if its tension with Hezbollah hits a boiling point, has further highlighted the domestic debate about who should and should not be required to bear the burden of forced military service.
“In the midst of a grueling war, the burden of inequality is harsher than ever and demands a solution,” Israeli Supreme Court Justice Uzi Vogelman said.
The law allowing for blanket military service exemptions expired in June 2023, and the government passed a resolution telling the Israeli military not to begin drafting members from the Haredi community. The court ruled the resolution exceeded the government’s authority.
Roughly 66,000 men from the Haredi community in Israel received an exemption from military service over the last year, the Times of Israel previously reported, citing the military’s Personnel Directorate.
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The Haredi community is one of the fastest-growing in Israel. As a result, the percentage of young people exempt from military service is much larger than it was during the nation’s infancy and continues to grow. Members of the community also receive government subsidies because they exclusively study the Torah instead of working.
The ruling could affect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, given his coalition has significant support from the Haredi community.
