Benny Gantz threatens to quit Israeli gov’t if bill exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscription passed

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz on Sunday threatened to quit if the current version of the conscription bill is passed, which exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscription.

The conscription bill is scheduled to be presented in its current form next week before the Knesset (Parliament) for approval.

“We will not be able to be members of the government if the conscription law is passed in its current form,” Gantz said in a video broadcast by KAAN channel, affiliated with the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

He added: “Neither I nor my partners (in the national camp that he leads) will be able to be members of the emergency government if the Knesset approves this legislation and includes it in the laws of the State of Israel.”

Gantz said: “This law, if passed, would harm the unity and security of the state in general, and especially in times of war.”

Gantz joined the emergency government days after the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, although he was not part of the right-wing government formed by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked on Sunday the draft conscription law that will be introduced later this week considering it a reflection of “the most terrible government in the country’s history.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday disowned the exemption bill planned to be presented to the Israeli government on Tuesday.

Recently in Israel, the conscription controversy returned to the forefront after the right-wing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu sought to approve a draft law excluding ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service and increasing the period of compulsory service from 32 to 36 months.

The issue of recruiting ultra-Orthodox Jews who evade military service under the pretext of devoting themselves to studying the Torah has always been a thorny issue in Israeli society.

Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef has threatened earlier in March that ultra-Orthodox Jews will leave the country if they are forced to serve in the army.

Under current Israeli law, Jews educated at yeshivas (religious schools) are exempted from military service.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 people were killed.

More than 32,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 74,500 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala​​​​​​​