Latest news with #militarydraft
Al Arabiya
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Netanyahu loses majority as key partner quits Israeli government
A key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday it is quitting the government, leaving him with a minority in parliament. The Shas ultra-Orthodox party said it was leaving over disagreements surrounding a proposed law meant to grant wide military draft exemptions to its constituents. A second ultra-Orthodox party quit earlier this week over the same issue. Leading a minority government would make governing a challenge for Netanyahu. But Shas said it wouldn't work to undermine the coalition once outside it and could vote with it on some laws. It also wouldn't support its collapse.
Russia Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Israel to forcibly draft ultra-Orthodox seminary students
Israel's military has announced plans to forcibly draft 54,000 ultra-Orthodox seminary students this month following a Supreme Court order nullifying their exemptions, the IDF reported in a Telegram post on Sunday. Military service is mandatory for most citizens of Israel, with both men and women required to serve in the IDF for a period of 24 to 32 months, usually starting at age 18. Most of the country's Arab population, who comprise 21% of the population, is exempt from military service, although some volunteer. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students have also been exempt for decades. The conscription notices are scheduled for distribution throughout July, with enlistments staggered over the coming year. The IDF said it will also strengthen enforcement against draft evaders and deserters across all sectors. According to local reports, authorities plan to take swifter action against those who fail to report for duty, including authorizing border police to set up checkpoints and carry out arrests. The decision comes amid heightened military demands due to ongoing conflicts with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, as well as tensions with Iran. Reservists in the IDF have reportedly expressed fatigue from extended deployments, increasing pressure on the government to broaden the draft pool. Last June, Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the state must begin drafting the Jewish seminary students into the military. Mass protests broke out in Jerusalem, with thousands of demonstrators clashing with police, hurling rocks and attacking vehicles, including those of senior ultra-Orthodox ministers. Ultra-Orthodox parties within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, notably United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas, have threatened to withdraw support unless exemptions are reinstated through legislation. Their departure could dismantle Netanyahu's narrow parliamentary majority, potentially triggering early elections. Ultra-Orthodox leaders argue that military integration threatens their religious lifestyle, particularly due to gender integration in the armed forces. In response, the military has pledged to accommodate their way of life and develop programs to foster inclusion.
Al Bawaba
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Haredi draft law crisis threatens to cripple Netanyahu's coalition
ALBAWABA - The ultra-Orthodox military draft law is causing a political standoff that could end Israel's coalition government. Haredi parties are giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government strict deadlines to meet. Kan, an Israeli news station, says that the current problem was started by Aryeh Deri, the head of the Shas party. This has already pushed back Netanyahu's planned trip abroad. Deri asked for a draft law on the forced service of Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) to be shown right away and warned that if it wasn't, his party and its partners would fight any law supported by the government. In response, Netanyahu talked to Yuli Edelstein, who is the head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the Knesset. Edelstein promised that a draft of the bill would be ready in two days. Edelstein agreed to show Ariel Atias, a prominent member of Shas, the draft, but he made it clear that this version is not the final one and that the whole law would be sent in later. Edelstein said, "The crisis can't be solved without the final draft." "We won't put up with any more delays," a top Haredi official told Kan. The group will not be able to work if the law is not given by Monday. The threat includes not voting in Knesset on any bills, which is a big change from their earlier strategy of only rejecting certain laws. Yair Lapid, the head of the opposition, spoke out against the move and said Edelstein was wrong to share the draft with Haredi leaders before talking to Israel's troops and reservists. "This is the whole point of avoiding the draft," Lapid said. Opposition members also said Edelstein hid what the law said and skipped over committee meetings. At the same time, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi went to the ultra-Orthodox Hashmonaim training base to praise those who serve and stress that military service is acceptable with Haredi life. The rising tension shows how deeply divided the partnership is and makes people worry about how stable Netanyahu's government's legislation will be in the future.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gary Sánchez's bases clearing double
Denmark expands military draft to women for first time After almost four months of military training, newly conscripted women are completing the final exercises near the Danish Army's barracks north of Copenhagen. (AP video shot by James Brooks) 0:57 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Russia Today
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Jar of tomatoes saves Ukrainian man from forced mobilization (VIDEO)
A Ukrainian man reportedly managed to escape forced conscription in the city of Lutsk after neighbors hurled a jar of pickled tomatoes from a nearby building at military recruiters, according to a new video highlighting Kiev's increasingly harsh mobilization efforts. It is unclear when the video was filmed, but it is the latest in a wave of viral clips showing public resistance to military draft efforts across Ukraine. The footage circulated on Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels on Sunday, showing a barefoot man resisting four local draft officers from Ukraine's Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR) as they attempted to push him into a minivan. 'Please take a picture of me. My name is Denis Tkachuk, born in 1997,' the man can be heard shouting while clinging to the open door. Moments later, a glass jar – apparently filled with pickled tomatoes – flies from above and shatters beside him, prompting the person filming to yell at the officers: 'Let him go already.' 'They want to kill me – that's why they feel embarrassed,' the struggling man screams. He eventually manages to break free and run off, while the draft officers appear to abandon the effort and drive away. The incident comes amid rising frustration over Kiev's mobilization campaign, which intensified after Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky signed a new draft law lowering the enlistment age and tightening enforcement. According to lawmaker Roman Kostenko, fewer than one in four recruits enlist voluntarily, with most entering service through what he described as 'brutal compulsory conscription.' Another Ukrainian MP, Yury Kamelchuk, said conscription officers are under orders to bring in 12 new recruits per day and are using aggressive tactics to meet quotas, including luring food couriers with fake delivery requests. Videos have repeatedly surfaced online showing Ukrainian officials using force to detain men in public areas, in what has become known locally as 'busification' – a term which refers to the forcible loading of recruits into unmarked vans. Moscow has accused Kiev of waging a war 'to the last Ukrainian' against Russia on behalf of Western nations, with President Vladimir Putin saying that Ukraine's recruitment officers are grabbing people 'like dogs on the street.'
