This is the end of an exemption that dates back to the birth of the State of Israel. This decision could have serious political consequences for the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Correspondent in Jerusalem,
The Israeli Supreme Court made a decision on Tuesday that could have serious political consequences for Benjamin Netanyahu. Unanimously, it ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jews studying Torah in religious schools must do military service. However, the coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu includes two ultra-Orthodox parties, whose leaders are opposed to members of their community complying with such an obligation.
The exemption they have enjoyed until now dates back to the birth of the State of Israel, when Ben-Gurion authorized a few hundred Holocaust survivors to study the Torah rather than join the ranks of the young Israeli army.
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But, 76 years later, Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, driven by one of the highest birth rates in the world, accounts for 13% of the Israeli population…
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