Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday approved a plan to conscript members of the country’s ultra-Orthodox Haredi community into the military. The decision could increase tension in the coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The first draft notices are expected to be issued next month, “in accordance with the [Israel Defense Forces’] absorption and screening capabilities,” Mr. Gallant’s office said in a statement.
He didn’t say how many conscription notices would be sent out. Still, the IDF has said it could immediately integrate 3,000 Haredi members into the military in addition to the 1,800 currently in uniform.
Mr. Gallant and Gen. Herzi Halevi, the IDF chief of staff, said drafting the ultra-Orthodox Israelis into the army is an “operational necessity and a complex social issue,” letting the Haredi soldiers “maintain their lifestyle,” according to The Times of Israel.
The move comes as the Israelis wage a block-by-block campaign against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip while defending Israel’s northern border against missiles and rockets fired by Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Mr. Gallant’s order follows a decision by Israel’s Supreme Court last month ruling that young Haredi men, who spend much of their time in religious studies, have the same national service obligations as other Israeli citizens. The high court’s draft order has prompted a series of demonstrations by ultra-Orthodox Israelis.
Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition government includes ultra-Orthodox parties that consider the draft exemptions critical to keeping their young members studying inside religious seminaries rather than in the military where their traditional customs could be challenged.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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