Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jewish men must be drafted into the military, a decision which threatens Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. The ruling, issued on June 25, 2024, states that exemptions for ultra-Orthodox seminary students are invalid without specific legal provisions, and thus compulsory military service applies to them as it does to other Israeli citizens.
This decision ends long-standing exemptions that have been a source of tension between secular and ultra-Orthodox communities. With the war in Gaza now in its ninth month and claiming over 600 Israeli soldiers' lives, the military has cited a critical need for additional troops.
Netanyahu's coalition, which includes influential ultra-Orthodox parties, faces the risk of collapse as these parties strongly oppose the change. The Supreme Court's ruling also mandates the suspension of state subsidies for seminaries whose students evade the draft, further intensifying the friction within the government.
The ruling underscores the broader national debate about equality in military service and the ongoing strain of the conflict in Gaza on Israeli society.