Ultra-Orthodox military service bill sparks crisis in Israeli government

A looming crisis over the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli army is threatening to undermine Israel's government and divide the country, according to the BBC.

Public opinion on this issue has changed dramatically in Israel after two years of war, and now this is the most explosive political danger facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lawmakers are currently considering a bill to end the recruitment exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews enrolled in full-time religious studies, established when the State of Israel was declared in 1948.

This exemption was declared illegal by the Israeli Supreme Court of Justice almost 20 years ago.

Temporary agreements to continue it were officially terminated by the court last year, forcing the government to start recruiting the community.

"About 24,000 recruitment notices were issued last year, but only about 1,200 ultra-Orthodox – or Haredi – recruits reported for duty," according to military testimony given to lawmakers.

Tensions are erupting in the streets, with lawmakers now discussing a new bill to force ultra-Orthodox men to enter military service alongside other Israeli Jews.

Two "haredi" politicians were targeted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who opposed the proposed law.

Last week, a special Border Police unit had to rescue Military Police officers who were targeted by a large crowd of "haredi" men while trying to arrest a suspect for evading military conscription.

These arrests have prompted the creation of a new messaging system called "Black Alarm" to quickly spread the news across ultra-Orthodox communities and call out protesters to prevent arrests.

The push to recruit more ultra-Orthodox also sparked a widespread protest by tens of thousands of "haredi" men in Jerusalem last month - with the issue seen by many observers as part of a broader conflict over the identity of the Jewish state and the place of religion within it.

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