Israel's ultra-Orthodox military service: what is the controversial proposal?

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish men have been holding protests after a controversial new ruling has meant they are no longer exempt from being drafted into military service.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government is set to be tested after the supreme court found on Tuesday that ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, men should not avoid being called up.

The ruling will put the prime minister under the cosh as members of his fragile coalition are from the more Orthodox branch of the faith and oppose the ruling.

Arrests were made on Wednesday and Thursday as the Haredi held rallies on Israeli highways.

Currently, the coalition holds a slim majority of 64 seats in the 120-member parliament.

With Netanyahu’s popularity currently at a low level, he is reliant on the ultra-Orthodox parties propping up his reign.

Housing minister Yitzhak Goldknopf heads one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s coalition and has expressed his disappointment on Twitter.

But for now the coalition hangs together as the war with Hamas continues towards its tenth month.

How much of Israel's population is ‘ultra-Orthodox'?

Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, Jews live by a strict interpretation of religious sources and believe studying full-time in religious seminaries is their most important duty.

This has put them at odds with enlistment and, since 1948, they have been saved from call-up thanks to a constitutional decree at the founding of Israel.

The number of these scholars has grown in number and now accounts for around 1.3 million people – which is around 13 per cent of the country’s population.

Two Haredi parties are present within the coalition.

In the past, the supreme court has called the Haredi exemptions from the draft “unlawful”.

What is the new policy?

The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that compulsory military service applies to the ultra-Orthodox just like any other Israeli, reports AP.

The judges said that allowing a certain community a “sweeping avoidance” of service amounted to discrimination.

“Discrimination regarding the most precious thing of all – life itself – is the worst kind,” the justices wrote in their opinion.

The ruling could come into being gradually.

The court said in its ruling that some 63,000 ultra-Orthodox students are eligible for enlistment with about 3,000 set to be called up within the next year.

It also said the government could no longer fund any religious schools (called “yeshivas”) whose students don’t participate in the draft.

Why is it controversial?

The Haredi make up around 14 per cent of Israel’s 9.5 million citizens, and are the fastest-growing segment of the population. Because they are disproportionately young, they make up 24 per cent of recruitment-age Israelis, according to the Israel Democracy Institute.Haredi men study full-time as part of a scheme funded by government stipends.

Making the Haredi eligible is a move against Israel’s founding values but, in 1948, there were only a small number exempt and now there is more than one million.

Even so, the powerful ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties have often threatened to quit Netanyahu’s coalition – and bring down the government.

Yitzhak Goldknopf, an Orthodox minister, said: “The state of Israel was created to be a home for the Jewish people, and the Torah is the cornerstone of its existence. The holy Torah will win.”

There is less of an issue around female Haredi joining up, and they are exempt.

How long is mandatory military service in Israel?

With some exemptions, conscription to military service is compulsory for all Israelis from the age of 18.

The minimum required length of military service is two years and eight months for men and two years for women.

All discharged citizens remain eligible to be called up for reserve duty until the age of 40.