Israel’s Lapid calls for ‘immediate’ military conscription of Ultra-Orthodox Jews

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to “immediately” begin conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews.

"The government should stop wasting time and immediately conscript the ultra-Orthodox Jews,'' Lapid wrote on X.

''Mandatory service for everyone, those who do not enlist will not receive a penny from the state,'' he added.

His comments came in response to a message sent by the government to Israel’s Supreme Court asking for more time to gradually conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Last month, the court ordered an end to government subsidies to schools for ultra-Orthodox men eligible for army enlistment and gave it until June 30 to pass a new plan for their army enlistment.

Most Jewish men in Israel are required to serve nearly three years in the military, followed by years of reserve duty. Jewish women serve two mandatory years.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredi, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions while studying full time in religious seminaries.

Netanyahu’s government includes parties supportive of Ultra-Orthodox Jews such as the Shas Party, which has 11 seats in the 120-seat Knesset (Israel's parliament), and the United Torah Judaism Party (seven seats).

Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip has ignited a debate on the enlistment of Ultra-Orthodox Jews in the military.

Israel has waged a relentless offensive on the Palestinian enclave since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed and over 76,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

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

​​​​​​​*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul