Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men pray during a rally attended by hundreds of thousands against plans to force them to serve in the Israeli military, blocking roads and paralyzing the city of Jerusalem in this March 2, 2014, file photo. Israeli lawmakers passed a contentious law on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 meant to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military.JERUSALEM – Israel’s parliament on Wednesday voted to begin drafting large numbers of ultra-Orthodox men into the military, moving to end a contentious system that enraged many secular Israelis by allowing young seminary students to evade army service.
The legislation sought to resolve an issue at the heart of a heated culture war in Israel. Instead, it only widened the rift, drawing criticism from both sides. It also could shake Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s longstanding alliance with religious political parties.
The issue of draft exemptions goes back to the times around Israel’s establishment in 1948, when the government allowed several hundred gifted students to pursue religious studies. The number of exemptions has grown over the years, with thousands of young religious men evading the draft to pursue seminary studies while most other Jewish men are conscripted for three years of mandatory service.
The exemptions have caused widespread resentment toward the ultra-Orthodox and were a central issue in parliamentary elections last year. Two parties that vowed to change the system, “Jewish Home” and “Yesh Atid,” scored strong gains and now sit in the center-right government.
“The change begins tomorrow morning and it is expected to transform the face of Israeli society,” said Yaakov Peri, a Cabinet minister from Yesh Atid, who helped spearhead the new legislation.