Ramat Gan, Israel - April 1, 2024

Military service in Israel was mandatory for men and women, except for the ultra-Orthodox; but from now on it will also be for young men who belong to this Jewish religion.

The Court defined that "there is no legal basis to exclude ultra-Orthodox men from conscription," so if they do not serve in the Army they should not receive publicly funded educational and social assistance grants.
The Supreme Court explained: “At the height of a difficult war, the burden of inequality is more pronounced than ever.”
It remains to be clarified whether recruitment orders will be sent immediately for the more than 60,000 eligible haredi men - the equivalent of five military divisions - for mandatory military service or it will be a gradual process.

This case was brought to Court by secular parties and NGOs who alleged that equality had been violated by favoring students of Talmudic schools, exempt from military service by virtue of a decision by the former Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, in 1948.
The highest court of justice began the hearings in February 2024. Then, Dafna Holz-Lechner, legal representative of the Mothers' Front movement, spoke about ending discrimination and mentioned that those 63,000 soldiers who were not enlisting were required.

The military exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is an executive provision that is periodically extended - and although it has existed since the birth of the State of Israel - it is not law; In fact, several court rulings indicate that it violates the principle of equality that governs basic Israeli legislation. As background, the Israeli Supreme Court declared in 1998 that this measure was discriminatory.

SHOTLIST:
1. Ultra-Orthodox Jews set Israeli flags on fire in protest (May 9, 2023);
2. Orthodox Jews in Israel celebrate the Festival of Lights (Dec 20, 20222);
3. In their New Year, Orthodox Jews perform the Tashlich ritual (Sept 21, 2023);
4. Several ultra-Orthodox protest against the conscription law in Ramat Gan (April 1, 2024);
5. Several demonstrations at the Tel haShomer military base in Ramat Gan, organized by the organization “Mothers on the Front Line”, who demand that ultra-Orthodox men be recruited (Mar 5, 2024).