ALBAWABA - On Monday, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued 7,000 more army draft orders for members of the ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews, who had previously been exempt from required service until a Supreme Court ruling in June.
In the following phase, which is anticipated to start in the next few days, Gallant authorized the Israeli army's "recommendation to issue an additional 7,000 orders for screening and evaluation processes for ultra-Orthodox draft-eligible individuals," according to a statement from the defense ministry.
The decision follows objections from the ultra-Orthodox community in July after a first wave of 3,000 draft orders was announced.
"The defense minister concluded that the war and the challenges we face underscore the (Israeli army’s) need for additional soldiers. This is a tangible operational need that requires broad national mobilization from all parts of society," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
After concluding that the government could not maintain the exemption "without an adequate legal framework," Israel's Supreme Court ordered the draft of yeshiva (seminary) students in June.
Jewish men in Israel are required to serve in the military for 32 months, while Jewish women must serve for 24 months.
The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) estimates that the ultra-Orthodox make up 14% of Israel's Jewish population, or around 1.3 million people. The army claims that around 66,000 people of conscription age are exempt.
