Defense Minister Gallant’s Opposition to Ultra-Orthodox Military Conscription Proposal Threatens Coalition Collapse
Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, stated unequivocally on Sunday that he would not support the government’s emerging proposal regarding the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men into the Israeli military, potentially leading to a collapse of the coalition. This development comes as the Israeli Supreme Court had previously given the government until the end of March to justify why there is no legislation concerning the mandatory military service of ultra-Orthodox men, known as Haredim, and why the government continues to fund their religious schools, or yeshivas, while exempting young Haredi men from military duty.
The Israeli Supreme Court’s demand for an explanation follows a longstanding controversy over the Haredi exemption, which has been in place since Israel’s founding. In 1998, the Supreme Court had revoked this exemption due to violations of equal protection principles. Ever since then, successive governments and Knessets have attempted to address the issue but faced continued opposition from the court.
Over the weekend, an outline of the government’s proposed reforms for this exemption emerged. However, it appears that the government intends to postpone legislative action on this matter once more. Gallant emphasized during a press conference before departing for Washington that he would only support legislation with broad political consensus, including the involvement of Benny Gantz from the National Unity party. He reiterated his stance, stating that he would not support any proposal lacking coalition agreement and would not submit it to legislation under his purview.
Gilad Milach, the director of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel program at the Israel Democracy Institute, noted that Gantz’s party might be considering resigning from the coalition due to this issue. The government is reportedly planning another delay in addressing the Supreme Court’s deadline for legislation on this matter this week, with the intention of maintaining the status quo while working on a more permanent solution.
The Israeli media reported that the proposed government plan would consist of three parts: raising the age requirement for Haredi men to remain exempt from military service, creating special battalions and positions for them in the IDF and emergency services, as well as government offices, and ensuring that those who do not enlist will not face criminal sanctions. Milach expressed a high likelihood that the Supreme Court would find this proposal unacceptable.
The issue of mandatory military service for Haredi men has been contentious in Israeli society for decades, with a February poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute revealing that 64% of Israeli respondents and 70% of Jewish Israeli respondents believed the Haredi exemption should be changed. This issue could potentially lead to profound political consequences, including the resignation of coalition partners and a cascade of further resignations.
Despite these challenges, Prime Minister Netanyahu might not require Gallant and Gantz’s support to postpone action on this matter, given his majority in the Knesset. However, the political repercussions could still be significant and potentially lead to the departure of coalition partners. Gallant urged Netanyahu and Gantz to come together and forge a broad consensus on this matter for the benefit of the IDF and the State of Israel.