Jerusalem –
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Tuesday that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into military service, potentially destabilizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the politically charged issue comes as calls grow for ultra-Orthodox men, historically exempt from mandatory military service, to enlist as Israel wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and prepares for possible fighting in Lebanon.
“The executive branch has no authority to order that the Security Service Act for yeshiva students not be enforced in the absence of an appropriate legislative framework,” the court said.
