logo
#

Latest news with #military service exemptions

Israeli ultra-orthodox party quits Netanyahu's ruling coalition
Israeli ultra-orthodox party quits Netanyahu's ruling coalition

France 24

time3 days ago

  • Politics
  • France 24

Israeli ultra-orthodox party quits Netanyahu's ruling coalition

An Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish party has come under fire for its decision to quit the ruling coalition in a long-running struggle over military service exemptions as the army looks for manpower for Gaza. The departure of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's government with the slenderest of majorities -- 61 of the 120 seats in parliament. The conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews is a highly contentious issue for Israeli society and Netanyahu's government. Under an arrangement dating back to the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, the ultra-Orthodox have been effectively exempted from military service as long as they dedicate themselves full-time to religious studies. Ultra-Orthodox parties have campaigned for decades for the exemptions to continue, but their demand has become increasingly unpopular among other sections of Israeli society after more than 21 months of war with Hamas in Gaza. Late on Monday, the UTJ party said it was leaving the coalition over the government's failure to secure the exemptions. Its defection takes 48 hours to come into effect. The announcement that three more Israeli soldiers had been killed in Gaza on Monday, taking the army's overall losses there to 458, fuelled criticism of the UTJ's position. "Even as this news was already on the desks of the prime minister and coalition leaders, they continued with full force to promote the draft-dodging law, without thinking about the fighters in the field who need more partners to share the burden with them," opposition lawmaker Avigdor Lieberman posted on X. After the first of two UTJ factions announced it would quit the government, former prime minister Naftali Bennett wrote: "These politicians are trying to prevent young Orthodox Jews from joining their heroic peers who are defending the people of Israel with their bodies." IDF reports sharp rise in soldier suicides 02:38 Netanyahu, visiting a military base on Tuesday where ultra-Orthodox troops are stationed, called to "mobilise all forces of the Jewish society in order to truly preserve our state and protect our people". Discussions aimed at amending the conscription law have intensified in Israel in recent months, putting the government under increasing pressure. Formed in December 2022, the governing coalition hinges on an alliance between Netanyahu's right-wing Likud, far-right parties and those representing the ultra-Orthodox. Ultra-Orthodox party Shas said it would meet Wednesday for "a crucial discussion on the continuation of Shas's mandate in government" following "serious and unacceptable attacks on the status of Torah scholars" with regard to military service. If Shas too left the coalition, Netanyahu's government would be left without a majority.

Haredi parties boycott Knesset over delayed military exemption bill
Haredi parties boycott Knesset over delayed military exemption bill

Al Mayadeen

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • Al Mayadeen

Haredi parties boycott Knesset over delayed military exemption bill

The ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties announced a boycott of Monday's Knesset plenum session in protest of the absence of legislation granting military service exemptions for yeshiva students, according to Israeli media. This full boycott marks an escalation from their previous partial legislative protest, during which they refused to vote on private members' bills advanced by coalition partners. Senior UTJ officials told Israel Hayom that Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein 'is not providing a draft [of the bill],' which they interpret as a retreat from previous agreements. 'The ultra-Orthodox parties will not be able to sit and vote with a coalition that supports such a law,' they said. Edelstein reportedly showed a Haredi representative a softened version of the conscription bill, but only in the form of a general outline, not a full draft, according to "Israel's" Channel 12. A senior UTJ source told The Times of Israel that Edelstein's presentation was "nonsense", adding that they were still waiting for a serious legislative proposal. A member of Edelstein's committee told The Times of Israel that a draft of the revised bill was expected to be presented on Monday, though no official confirmation had been issued. The ongoing boycott may delay the appointment of UTJ MK Yisrael Eichler as housing minister, reflecting the potential political cost of the internal coalition rift. Read more: Haredi parties push for Knesset dissolution, call PM 'a burden' In a related context, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri criticized opposition Leader Yair Lapid for comments accusing the Haredi leadership of hypocrisy. Lapid had claimed that Haredi politicians were willing to send others' children to fight while ensuring their own were exempt from service. During his Yesh Atid faction's weekly meeting, Lapid condemned the exemption push, naming Deri and committee member Yaakov Asher (UTJ), saying they 'have no problem sending [reserve] soldiers to go fight and die on one condition: that their own children not die.' Deri responded with a sharp rebuttal, claiming that 'the percentage of soldiers who serve and risk their lives among Shas voters is higher than among your party's voters.' He accused Lapid of inciting against an entire community, calling his remarks 'serious and false incitement.' He called on Lapid to retract what he described as an 'inflammatory slur'. This standoff highlights the broader political friction over the contentious issue of yeshiva student conscription, which continues to threaten coalition unity. Read more: Eisenkot to resign from Knesset, leave Gantz' party over differences

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store