Israel to issue 54,000 call-up notices to ultra-Orthodox students, World News
The Supreme Court ruling last year overturned a decades-old exemption for ultra-Orthodox students, a policy established when the community comprised a far smaller segment of the population than the 13 per cent it represents today.
Military service is compulsory for most Israeli Jews from the age of 18, lasting 24-32 months, with additional reserve duty in subsequent years. Members of Israel's 21 per cent Arab population are mostly exempt, though some do serve.
A statement by the military spokesperson confirmed the orders on Sunday (July 6) just as local media reported legislative efforts by two ultra-Orthodox parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to craft a compromise.
The exemption issue has grown more contentious as Israel's armed forces in recent years have faced strains from simultaneous engagements with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and Iran.
Ultra-Orthodox leaders in Netanyahu's brittle coalition have voiced concerns that integrating seminary students into military units alongside secular Israelis, including women, could jeopardise their religious identity.
The military statement promised to ensure conditions that respect the ultra-Orthodox way of life and to develop additional programmes to support their integration into the military. It said the notices would go out this month.
[[nid:719904]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Netanyahu says has nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) hands over a letter to US President Donald Trump as they meet at the Blue Room of the White House, on July 7. WASHINGTON - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on July 7 he has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, presenting the US president with a letter he sent to the prize committee. 'He's forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other,' Mr Netanyahu said at a dinner with Mr Trump at the White House. Mr Trump has received multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations from supporters and loyal lawmakers over the years, and has made no secret of his irritation at missing out on the prestigious award. The Republican has complained that he had been overlooked by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for his mediating role in conflicts between India and Pakistan, as well as Serbia and Kosovo. He has also demanded credit for 'keeping peace' between Egypt and Ethiopia and brokering the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements aiming to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Netanyahu meets Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas discuss ceasefire
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The two leaders were scheduled to have a private dinner instead of formal talks in the Oval Office. WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV - President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for White House talks on July 7, while Israeli officials held indirect negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Mr Netanyahu's visit follows Mr Trump's prediction, on the eve of their meeting, that such an agreement could be reached this week. Before heading to Washington, the right-wing Israeli leader said his discussions with Mr Trump could help advance negotiations under way in Qatar between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. It was Mr Trump's third face-to-face encounter with Mr Netanyahu since returning to office in January, and came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Mr Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war. Mr Trump and his aides appeared to be trying to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough in the 21-month Gaza war. He said he also wants to discuss with Mr Netanyahu the prospects for a 'permanent deal' with Iran, Israel's regional arch-foe. The two leaders were scheduled to have a private dinner instead of formal talks in the Oval Office, where the President usually greets visiting dignitaries. It was not immediately clear why Mr Trump was taking a lower-key approach with Mr Netanyahu this time. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World 25% on Japan and Malaysia, 40% on Laos: Trump's tariff letters to Asia add pressure for deals by Aug 1 Business US stocks knocked lower by tariff jitters; Musk's political plan hits Tesla Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Singapore's second mufti Sheikh Syed Isa Semait dies at age 87 Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions Singapore Competition watchdog gives SIA, Malaysia Airlines conditional approval to continue cooperation Singapore About 20 delivery riders meet Pritam Singh to discuss platform worker issues After arriving overnight in Washington, Mr Netanyahu met earlier on July 7 with Mr Trump's Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in preparation for his talks with the President. He planned to visit the US Capitol on July 8 to see congressional leaders. Ahead of the visit, Mr Netanyahu told reporters he would thank Mr Trump for the US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and said Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar's capital. Israeli officials also hope the outcome of the conflict with Iran will pave the way for normalisation of relations with more of its neighbors such as Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia, another issue expected to be on the agenda with Mr Trump. Second day of Qatar talks Mr Witkoff, who played a major role in crafting the 60-day ceasefire proposal at the centre of the Qatar negotiations, will travel to Doha this week to join discussions there, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on July 7. In a sign of continued gaps between the two sides, Palestinian sources said Israel's refusal to allow the free and safe entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza remains the main obstacle to progress in the indirect talks. Israel insists it is taking steps to get food into Gaza but seeks to prevent militants from diverting supplies. On the second day of negotiations, mediators hosted one round and talks were expected to resume in the evening, the Palestinian sources told Reuters. The US-backed proposal envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely. Hamas has long demanded a final end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would not agree to halt fighting until all hostages are released and Hamas dismantled. Mr Trump told reporters last week that he would be 'very firm' with Mr Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza deal and that the Israeli leader also wanted to end the war. Some of Mr Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners oppose halting military operations but, with Israelis having become increasingly weary of the Gaza war, his government is expected to back a ceasefire if he can secure acceptable terms. A ceasefire at the start of 2025 collapsed in March, and talks to revive it have so far been fruitless. Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza and sharply restricted food distribution. Gazans were watching closely for any sign of a breakthrough. 'I ask God almighty that the negotiating delegation or the mediators pressure with all their strength to solve this issue, because it has totally became unbearable,' said Mr Abu Suleiman Qadoum, a displaced resident of Gaza city. The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates. Mr Trump has been strongly supportive of Mr Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics in June by lashing out at prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges that Mr Netanyahu denies. REUTERS
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Trump to meet Netanyahu in push for Gaza deal
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (Jul 7) to push for an end to the Gaza war, after Israel and Hamas held indirect talks in Qatar on an elusive ceasefire. Trump has said he believes there is a "good chance" of an agreement this week for a ceasefire in the devastated Palestinian territory, hot on the heels of a truce in the war between Israel and Iran. The US president, who has expressed increasing concern over the situation in Gaza in recent weeks, will have dinner behind closed doors with Netanyahu, their third meeting since Trump returned to power. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said it was Trump's "utmost priority ... to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages." Leavitt said Trump wanted Hamas to agree to a US-brokered proposal "right now" after Israel backed the plan for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The latest round of negotiations on the war in Gaza began on Sunday in Doha, with representatives seated in different rooms in the same building. A second session was held on Monday and ended with "no breakthrough," a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations told AFP. The Hamas and Israeli delegations were due to resume talks later on Monday, the official said. GOOD CHANCE Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was due to join the talks in Doha later this week in an effort to get a ceasefire over the line as the Gaza conflict nears its 22nd month. In Washington, key US ally Netanyahu was to hold separate meetings with Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio before his dinner with Trump at 6.30 pm local time. Netanyahu, speaking before heading to Washington, said his meeting with Trump could "definitely help advance" a deal with Hamas. Trump said on Sunday that there was a "good chance we have a deal with Hamas ... during the coming week". He added that during his talks with Netanyahu he wanted to discuss a "permanent deal" with Iran, following a truce with Israel that was precipitated by US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. But the talks in both Washington and Doha promise to be tense. Netanyahu previously said Hamas's initial response to the draft ceasefire proposal contained "unacceptable" demands. The proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel, two Palestinian sources close to the discussions had earlier told AFP. But the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system, they said. "END THE WAR" In Israel's coastal hub of Tel Aviv, hours before the meeting, dozens of people, including relatives of hostages, demonstrated to demand the release of the remaining captives. "President Trump - make history. Bring them all home. End the war," read a sign held by protesters outside the US diplomatic mission in the city. Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the Hamas attack that triggered the war, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says, are dead. Two previous ceasefires have broken down, and efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for a lasting ceasefire. In Gaza, the civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 12 people on Monday, including six in a clinic housing people displaced by the war. The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip. The rollout of food distribution by a US- and Israel-backed group in late May has been chaotic, with more than 500 aid seekers killed near its facilities, according to the UN Human Rights Office. Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,523 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN considers the figures reliable. It has also reduced much of the enclave to rubble, destroying schools, hospitals and residential areas, and severely restricted the entry of aid.
