The Israeli parliament has passed legislation that effectively prevents ultra-Orthodox men from enlisting in the country’s military. This move is seen as the ruling coalition’s attempt to win religious party support before the upcoming autumn elections. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lawmakers held a lengthy session to approve measures that freeze the arrest of draft-evading ultra-Orthodox men and recognize Jewish religious studies as a foundational state value.
The laws offer significant concessions by Netanyahu’s Likud party to ultra-Orthodox politicians aiming to formalize their community’s informal exemption from mandatory military service, which applies to most Jewish men and women in Israel. The military already faces serious manpower shortages, and many Israelis have grown weary of the long-standing system allowing ultra-Orthodox males to avoid service. Each year, about 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the draft age of 18, yet less than 10% enlist, according to a parliamentary committee.
These legislative efforts follow nearly three years of conflicts involving Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, and come before the Knesset’s summer break. Parliament members will reconvene just days before the next parliamentary elections on October 27, a vote also serving as a referendum on Netanyahu’s wartime leadership. Netanyahu seeks backing from the ultra-Orthodox, or haredim, in the elections. “Netanyahu is ensuring that the haredim exclusively negotiate with him after the next elections,” claimed Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz of the Israel Democracy Institute.
However, Netanyahu faces internal party opposition and criticism from military leadership. Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir expressed concerns in a letter to Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, describing the legislation as “completely incompatible” with military needs, according to local media reports. “It’s unthinkable that the military system under my command, demanding unprecedented sacrifice from personnel, would permit widespread exemption grants,” he wrote.
The ultra-Orthodox exemptions date back to Israel’s founding in 1948 when a small number of students sought to revive Jewish studies post-Holocaust. Later, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled such exemptions illegal. Experts suggest that the law formalizing Torah study provides a legal basis for the state to challenge court opinions.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced the law as “an absolute disgrace to the name of God” and “a slap in the face” to Israeli soldiers. In contrast, Moshe Gafni, an ultra-Orthodox legislator who promoted the bill, called its passage historic. “For thousands of years, Torah study has been the force preserving the Jewish people through the diaspora and generations,” stated Gafni, adding that the law “will serve as a compass for the state’s values.”
“The approval of this law is a significant milestone, marking our commitment to our values,” declared Gafni.
Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel.