The Israeli military has failed to register hundreds of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews for military service, Israeli media reported.
On Monday, only 30 Haredi Jews turned up during the day at the recruitment centre, while 1,000 were due to register their names on Monday and Tuesday.
Israeli army sources cited the low number of Haredi Jews registered for conscription as a result of their protest, which forced many of those intending to join the army to refuse to serve.
Israeli police said they arrested three Haredi protesters who had gathered in front of a draft centre to protest the conscription of Haredi Jews.
Problematic conscription of Haredi Jews
In June, Israel’s Supreme Court obliged Haredi Jews to enlist in the army and banned financial aid to religious institutions whose students refuse military service.
The ruling angered the religious minority, who protested against military service, arguing that it would distract them from studying the holy Jewish book of Torah, a goal to which they have dedicated their lives.
The protests often led to clashes between demonstrators and police.
Haredi Jews, who make up about 13 per cent of Israel’s population of about 9.9 million, have been largely exempt from military service since Israel’s creation in 1948. Israeli law requires all Israelis over the age of 18 to serve in the army, and the Haredi exemption has been a contentious issue for decades.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews oppose conscription for a variety of reasons, including – but not limited to – removing the element of exclusion for which the community is famous and the need for special conditions in the event of conscription, such as service in male-only units and extended prayer times.
Many of them are also “anti-Zionists,” as they believe that a Jewish state cannot be established until the messiah comes, and many have become pro-Palestinian. Israel, on the other hand, continues to establish illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and has turned much of Gaza into rubble.
The offensive continues
Israel’s military operation since October 2023 has killed 39,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 91,400 in the blockaded enclave. Tel Aviv keeps the Gaza Strip under siege, which has caused severe shortages of basic necessities including food, water, medicine and electricity – all of which have contributed to the spread of disease and hunger. Some 10,000 people have been kidnapped by Israel, and more than 10,000 are believed to be buried under the rubble of bombed-out homes.
Some 45 American doctors, surgeons and nurses who have volunteered in Gaza since last October say the likely death toll from Israel’s genocidal war “already exceeds 92,000.”
Gaza must return to control of legitimate Palestinian authorities
The Gaza Strip must be transferred to the control of legitimate Palestinian authorities, and Israeli plans for temporary control of the enclave are unacceptable, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday.
Abbas told the media:
Gaza must be governed under the auspices of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) and the legitimate Palestinian government. We strongly oppose Israeli plans that provide for some temporary solutions.
