Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service, a landmark decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza.

The historic ruling effectively puts an end to a decades-old system that granted ultra-Orthodox men broad exemptions from military service while maintaining mandatory enlistment for the country’s secular Jewish majority. The arrangement, deemed discriminatory by critics, has created a deep chasm in Israel’s Jewish majority over who should shoulder the burden of protecting the country.

The court struck down a law that codified exemptions in 2017, but repeated court extensions and government delaying tactics over a replacement dragged out a resolution for years. The court ruled that in the absence of a law, Israel’s compulsory military service applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizen.

Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women.

  • Guydht@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    If it leads to an actual change - everyone wins.

    But I doubt anything will change, with Bibi being the snake he is.

  • newtraditionalists@kbin.melroy.org
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    3 days ago

    Such a clear example of religion as a tool of power. They are cowards using religion as a shield. They scream and scream about how evil everyone else is but expect those others to do all the killing for them. The killing that they demand. Cowards. Dumb too. Like so dumb words can’t even cover it.

    • Tryptaminev@lemm.ee
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      2 days ago

      Note that there is two separate streams in there. There is the orthodox Jews that use religion as a shield like you say and are avid fans of Israeli fascism but dont want to get their hands dirty.

      And there is orthodox Jews that are very outspoken against Israeli fascism, sometimes going as far as rejecting Israeli statehood as a whole and demanding a Palestinian state where people have equal rights regardless of religion or ethnicity and were land has to be bought and cannot be stolen by murdering the rightful owners.

  • Coasting0942
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    3 days ago

    One part, now their lives are on the line for all the saber rattling they scream about.

    One part now their kids get to talk to others in the barracks unless they find a way for ultra-ortho only batallions.

    • maynarkh@feddit.nl
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      3 days ago

      IIRC they plan to have ultra-ortho only battalions so they can keep doing their ultra-ortho shit while fighting.

    • Not_mikey@slrpnk.net
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      3 days ago

      ultra-orthi battalions

      That’s what they’ve been doing. They station them in the West Bank and they we’re doing so many atrocities that even Biden considered sanctioning the specific battalions , he didn’t actually do it because he’s a spineless coward, but he did consider.

      For the sake of Palestinians I hope they split up these nut jobs.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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    3 days ago

    A rare Riker for Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox.

    Should be less rare, but I’ll Riker where I can.

  • Atin@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Good. The ultra orthodox are a drain on Israeli society and culture. All they do is take from the state.

  • FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Being blissfully unaware of Israel’s “culture”, could someone explain who the ultra-orthodox are and why it affects Mileikowsky?

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Bibi has a coalition government as his party didn’t get enough votes on their own in the last election. He cozied up with some far right parties to make said government. A lot of those parties have a support base made up of ultra conservative (ultra-orthodox) Jews. Essentially they’re the Jewish version of evangelical Christians. They’re insular, follow the Torah to exact letter of the law, and up until this point they were exempt from conscription as they see their service to the state as study. Many in Israel hold them in contempt for not pitching in for Israel’s security. Essentially Bibi’s coalition partners may quit the government if this comes into effect which could force new elections.

      • This is fine🔥🐶☕🔥@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        follow the Torah to exact letter of the law,

        Is that even possible? From what I’ve read about Judaism, the common joke seems to be ask a question to 3 rabbis and you’ll get 5 answers.

        • moody@lemmings.world
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          Also who knows how many loopholes. Apparently the word of God is very precise and is meant to be followed to the letter, except when it’s inconvenient, in which case you hang strings between your house and your neighbors’ so you can wander the neighborhood when you’re supposed to stay home.

        • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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          3 days ago

          Two solutions to that problem:

          1. Choose the answer you like. Those other rabbis are wrong.
          2. Avoid breaking anyone’s rules (this is, I believe, roughly the actual method). If one rabbi says it’s forbidden to spin counter clockwise while dancing and another says it’s fine, don’t spin counter clockwise because maybe the first rabbi is right and the second just said it wasn’t required, not that you had to do it. There’s no electricity in the Biblical rules, but it’s kind like fire and there are rules about fire on Shabbat, so they’re not supposed to use electricity on Shabbat. It might be overkill, but better safe than sorry.
      • Tryptaminev@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        Note that they are not following the Torah. There is many orthodox Jews who strongly reject the zionist project as the fascism that it is and see it as a grave sin. Those people are merely abusing the religion for their own material gain while showing no understanding of the Torah.