Israel’s Gaza offensive sparks fierce clash over Ultra-Orthodox military draft
As Israel mobilizes an additional reservists for its Gaza City offensive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a showdown over mandatory military utility for the Ultra-Orthodox neighborhood a debate sharpened by the strain on reservists pulled from their families for months at a time During Israel s War of Independence Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion reached an agreement with the Ultra-Orthodox region to exempt full-time Bible students from the army The arrangement known as Torato manuto literally his Torah is his occupation originally applied to only a meager hundred students In the current era that group makes up roughly of Israel s population of million a share projected to grow to about a third by due to high birth rates ISRAEL'S NETANYAHU HOLDS ON TO POWER ATTEMPT TO DISSOLVE CABINET FALLS SHORTWhen the Knesset broke for its summer recess at the end of July Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s coalition was on the verge of collapse over the conscription issue even as the war against Hamas in Gaza intensified Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein narrated Fox News Digital that the ideal outcome would see full-time Torah students continue their studies while those who are not engaged in religious learning would enlist in the IDF The army demands them Israel demands them and it s manageable we can do it What makes it laborious is the lack of an oversight mechanism that the Haredim would agree to Edelstein stated In July Netanyahu s Likud party removed Edelstein as chair of the influential Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee after he publicly accused Haredi lawmakers of refusing to engage in compromise on ordinance the body was ready to advance The shake-up came a week after the Ultra-Orthodox parties United Torah Judaism and Shas withdrew from the coalition in protest over the failure to pass regulation exempting Haredi men from military function However they stopped short of joining opposition no-confidence motions that could topple the establishment ISRAEL WARNS OF IMMINENT ATTACK ON GAZA CITY URGES RESIDENTS TO FLEEThe Knesset reconvenes for its winter session next month giving Netanyahu a little over a month to broker a deal We insisted that anyone who joins the army as a Haredi should leave as a Haredi and we insisted that the army build the infrastructure to make that attainable We really understand the sensitivity Edelstein reported Fox News Digital The rabbis for now are not in favor of Haredim joining the army not all of them of program but we are trying to work with them as well he added Ido Keren is the founder of Katef Le Katef Shoulder to Shoulder an organization of young military reservists from across Israel s political spectrum that advocates for universal conscription both as a protection necessity and a matter of equality The IDF chief of staff has explained there is a shortage of to soldiers and these gaps must be filled Keren advised Fox News Digital While Haredim are eligible for enlistment they are not joining During this time reservists continue to serve without pause It is not logical that entire groups in Israeli society serve and pay taxes he continued while another group does not serve does not pay taxes and gets a free ride thanks to others The Jewish state is built on values of mutual responsibility and unity Keren argued that the method lies in enforcing a universal draft law backed by economic rather than criminal sanctions Cutting populace budgets for those who refuse to serve he commented would push Haredim to enlist and enter the workforce enabling them to contribute to Israeli society A former lawmaker from the Ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party Moshe Roth notified Fox News Digital that the roots of the debate go back to Israel s founding From the establishment of the state it was understood that as the people of the book it is vital for the country s spiritual and national existence that a portion of the population devote themselves to Torah survey he revealed Roth noted that about years ago Israel s High Court deemed the status quo arrangement illegal for violating the principle of equality Since then the Knesset has repeatedly tried and failed to pass measure addressing the Haredi draft It has become politically charged and weaponized Numerous parties use it as a tool to win votes which has made passing a law extremely laborious Even when the Knesset succeeds the High Court often rules that it falls short Roth declared Since Oct the issue has grown even more sensitive According to Roth the IDF resisted drafting Haredim due to cultural reasons The army is progressive and the yeshiva students would change its character and deter women from being integrated It will change the situation dramatically the military is not too keen about that he announced ISRAEL SET TO LAUNCH GAZA CITY OFFENSIVE HIGH STAKES HIGH COSTS AHEADDuring a tour of the Gaza Strip late last month IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir called for enlistment from all sectors Israel s prevention requires the full partnership of all parts of the nation This is a civic duty and a national imperative I call on everyone to enlist and contribute their share equally this is the call of the hour Zamir reported In the interim the IDF is making strides to accommodate religious soldiers In January dozens of Ultra-Orthodox recruits joined the military s new Hasmonean Brigade The Netzah Yehuda Battalion formerly Nahal Haredi enables Haredi men to serve as combat soldiers while observing strict religious practices In June the IDF stated it would issue more than draft orders to Ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students and increase enforcement against draft evasion We are attempting to change a situation that has existed for years Likud's Edelstein stated Fox News Digital It s a big and complex shift a scary change but it s necessary We have no choice both for military and social reasons he reported
