In a significant ruling, the Israeli Supreme Court has directed the government to stop funding religious schools whose students refuse to serve in the country’s mandatory military service. This decision poses a serious challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.
Netanyahu relies on the support of two Ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, to maintain his coalition. However, his approach to the issue of Ultra-Orthodox conscription has drawn criticism from his wartime cabinet partners, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz of the National Unity Party.
Ariyeh Deri, leader of the Shas party, condemned the court’s decision, accusing the judges of threatening the existence of the Jewish people. He warned that the ruling could incite internal conflict amidst the ongoing external challenges faced by Israel.
Since the founding of the country, young men studying in yeshivas (Jewish religious schools) have been exempt from mandatory military service, effectively exempting all Ultra-Orthodox Israelis. However, this exemption was never formalized into law and has been implemented through government mandates. Netanyahu attempted to delay the court’s deadline to pass a law formalizing the exemption.
The Supreme Court, after years of rulings on the matter, declared it illegal for the government to both fund yeshivas and exempt their students from conscription. In a late-night ruling, the court mandated that starting April 1, the government could no longer provide funds to yeshivas whose students did not receive legitimate deferments.
Yitzhak Goldknopf, leader of the United Torah Judaism party, criticized the ruling as a disgrace and a sign of contempt. He emphasized the importance of religious study for the Jewish people’s identity and existence, asserting that without Torah, Israel has no right to exist.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews consider religious study as crucial for Judaism’s preservation, viewing it as equally vital to Israel’s defense as military service. Gantz, of the National Unity Party, welcomed the court’s decision, urging the government to take action in line with the ruling.
This ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over Ultra-Orthodox conscription and highlights the tension between religious exemptions and national service obligations in Israel.
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