2024-03-26 10:43:11
Opposition politician Benni Ganz joined the war cabinet shortly after the Hamas attack on October 7, in which around 1,200 people were murdered and hundreds were kidnapped. On the issue of conscription for Orthodox Christians, however, he represents the secular-liberal camp, unlike Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actual coalition.
Ganz has already threatened to leave the war cabinet if the law extending the exemption from military service for Orthodox Christians is passed. This does not mean that the government itself falls, but a domestic political crisis would be guaranteed – in the middle of the war and a growing confrontation with the most important ally, the USA, over Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza. Washington had approved Ganz’s entry into the War Cabinet in October. Above all, this prevented the opening of a second front – against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon – which Defense Minister Joav Galant wanted. If Ganz were to leave, the strained relationship between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden would further deteriorate.
Ministry as Netanyahu’s helper
The official reason for the surprising postponement of the government meeting was that the Ministry of Finance tore up the planned regulation in a statement. This was very convenient for Netanyahu, who always works to gain time when dealing with domestic political problems – and should not be a coincidence, since the Finance Ministry is headed by one of Netanyahu’s most important coalition partners.
Exemption from military service is one of the most controversial and painful issues in Israeli society. The secular and traditional religious majority of the Jewish population bears a double burden compared to the Orthodox: they alone bear the burden of national defense and they pay the majority of taxes. Orthodox people rarely do military service and a very small percentage are integrated into the labor market.
Most of them live on subsidies – largely cross-financed by the taxes of secular Israelis. Most recently, a high-ranking rabbi added fuel to the fire by saying that before an Orthodox performs military service, the country will be read out.
Netanyahu presented plans
Not only is the Gaza war, which suddenly exacerbated the problem, now making the exception difficult to justify, but a de facto lawless situation is also forcing action. The law that still allowed these exceptions expired last year, and an interim solution also ends. The highest court had given the government until the end of April to explain how to proceed.
Ganz now threatened to leave the war cabinet if the Orthodox continued to avoid military service. A proposal for the new regulation presented by Netanyahu once again provides for generous exceptions.
APA/AFP/Abir Sultan Netanyahu, Galant, Ganz: Since the Hamas attack, they have formed the war cabinet together
There is no quota for the drafting of ultra-Orthodox men per year, as Israeli media reported. Instead, the exemption age from service will be set at 35 years. This, critics say, would ensure that ultra-conservatives who do not report for duty are not punished. They have already been able to avoid the draft by enrolling in yeshivas to study Torah and repeatedly receiving a one-year deferment of service until they were old enough to no longer be drafted.
“Red line” for Ganz
Ganz described these plans as a “red line”. “The population will not be able to swallow this, the Knesset will not be able to vote for it, and my colleagues and I will not be able to be part of the emergency government if such a law passes the Knesset,” Ganz said in a statement on Sunday evening Video message.
“I call on Likud ministers and members of the Knesset to make their voices heard,” he demanded, arguing that the bill represents a “serious violation of values” that would cause significant social divisions. “We will not be able to look in the eyes of our fighters inside and outside our borders who will be asked to extend their service.”
Thousands freed for religious reasons
In Israel, conscription lasts two and a half years for men and two years for women. There are few exceptions; only women are allowed to refuse military service for reasons of conscience. But there are a number of exceptions for religious reasons, and most Arab Israelis do not serve in the military. Compulsory military service is usually followed by one month of reserve service per year up to certain age limits.
APA/AFP/Jack Guez In Israel there have been repeated protests against and for the conscription of Orthodox Christians
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the government has called up around 287,000 reservists, while last year, according to the Israeli armed forces, around 6,000 ultra-Orthodox were liberated.
In view of the expiring deadline, the relevant interest groups in Israel have long since raised their voices. There were repeated protests for and against compulsory military service for everyone.
Galant could pull out
The third member of the group, Defense Minister Galant, could contribute to a balance between Ganz and Netanyahu. Galant said he could not support any law passed without the broad support of all coalition parties. An agreement on compulsory military service is “essential for the existence and success of the armed forces” and a compromise must be found. “I once again appeal to the Prime Minister and Minister Ganz to use the time and reach a broad consensus on the issue of the conscription law for the benefit of the armed forces and the State of Israel.”
The war cabinet was scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the issue, and a vote on Netanyahu’s draft was also scheduled. When this will happen is completely unclear. In any case, it will take a while for a new law to actually come into force. Netanyahu only wants to send his proposal into law shortly before the Knesset’s summer break, as Israeli media reported – in order to gain time.
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