Israel's top court ruled unanimously on June 25 that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into military service, potentially destabilizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition.Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jews hold signs as they block a highway during a protest against possible changes regarding the laws on the military draft from which the ultra-Orthodox community has traditionally been exempt, in the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak, on June 20.
The justices ruled that without a law granting exemptions to students at Jewish seminaries,"the state must act to enforce the law."The court's ruling was a response to petitions from civil society groups advocating mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men. The issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment led to the collapse of a previous Netanyahu-led coalition government in 2018, sparking years of political deadlock.
The court's ruling could undermine the stability of Netanyahu's government, which is divided over the issue. Critics say the bill, which has not yet passed committee and requires two parliamentary votes to become law, falls short of the military's needs in the wake of the October 7 attack.Ultra-Orthodox politician Yitzhak Goldknopf, United Torah Judaism party leader and housing minister in Netanyahu's cabinet, condemned"an expected but very unfortunate and disappointing decision.