Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jews must serve in the armed forces, world news agencies reported. This decision could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which also includes parties representing Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community
The Supreme Court ruled that, in the absence of a law distinguishing between Jewish seminary students and other conscripts, mandatory Israeli military service applies to the ultra-Orthodox as it does to all other citizens. Under a long-standing agreement, ultra-Orthodox men were exempt from military service, which is mandatory for most men and women in Israel. This exception has long been a source of anger among the secular circles of society. The division also deepened as the war in the Gaza Strip progressed.
