Haredim threaten to dismantle Israeli occupation government
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Israeli media say Haredim Knesset members are threatening Netanyahu's government with retaliation if it moves forward with the judicial amendments.
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews stand beside a bonfire during Lag BaOmer celebrations in occupied Al-Quds, May 8, 2023 (AP)
Haredim, or Ultra-Orthodox, Knesset members ended last week's summer session without passing a law on conscription, which they had promised their constituents, Israeli media reported Thursday.
According to Israeli media, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledging to his allies to pass the compulsory conscription law before approving the annual budget, he refrained from doing so, with the coalition mainly focusing on judicial amendments, and the issue of conscription was not discussed.
Citing closed-door conversations published by a journalist on the Kikar Shabbat website, Shas party leader Aryeh Deri and United Torah Judaism party leader Isaac Goldknopf reject any further obstruction and demand a new conscription law before continuing to work on judicial amendments.
In those conversations, Deri and Goldknopf issued a warning saying, "If the government wants to proceed with legislation, it is linked to compulsory conscription."
"It is evident to Netanyahu that the conscription law will pass at the beginning of the winter session, but without the conscription law, this government will not survive," Deri said.
Goldknopf, in turn, said, "We received an order from the Council of Torah Sages: Without conscription law - resign from the government. There will be no further postponement in the legislation."
Amid concerns about its role in pushing for the overthrow of the occupation government, Israeli parties warned against the projects proposed by MKs from the ruling coalition in "Israel" regarding amending the conscription law, which contribute to the "disintegration of the army."
The proposed amendment would exempt the Haredim from compulsory military service.
Legislation proposed by both Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Security Minister Yoav Galant perpetuates inequality among Israelis in terms of bearing the burden of military service, Israeli media said.
In an analysis prepared by political commentator Ariel Kahana, the newspaper warned that "it is neither fair nor logical for one Jew to be obligated to perform military service while another Jew is exempted simply because he was born into a specific faction."
Smotrich proposed that the Haredim be exempted from military service once they reach the age of 21 instead of the current age of 26, while Galant proposes that the exemption be granted when the Haredi youth reaches the age of twenty-three.
On the other hand, Haaretz mentioned that there are fears prevailing in the ruling coalition of its possible disintegration due to the amendment of the conscription laws allowing for the exemption of the Haredim from military service.
Read next: IOF intend to dissolve two Haredi contingents
The newspaper also pointed out that the Supreme Court taking the decision to cancel the amendment could lead the Haredim parties to withdraw from the government, leading to its downfall.
As per Israeli policy, Israeli settlers are forced into military conscription, meaning that they must serve in the occupation army - or else will serve time in jail. However, the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community typically does not have to and has always criticized the policy. Attempts to integrate them into the IOF, several times, have ended in failure.
It was reported back in February that most of the religious strata of the Israeli settler community reject recruitment into the Israeli occupation army.
It is estimated that there are about 50,000 Haredi young adults in occupied Palestine who are eligible for military recruitment in the Israeli occupation army. However, only 1,200 have signed up as of 2019 statistics.
The Times of "Israel" reported that over 50% of eligible young Haredi men reaching the age of 18 do not enlist in the IOF, with most of them studying in religious schools during the conscription age.
Haredi Jews, on the other hand, reject these claims and argue that religious education serves as spiritual protection for "Israel".
The issue of Haredi recruitment has been a contentious topic in "Israel", amid calls that the Haredim should participate in military or civil service instead of enjoying near-complete exemption in accommodation of their religious studies.
