Gantz issues ultimatum to Netanyahu: Will quit Israeli gov't over IDF draft law

[Uncle Joe]

Gantz sends message to Netanyahu: "People will not tolerate it; I cannot be part of this emergency government if this law passes."

(snip)

"Passing such a law would be crossing a red line during normal times, and during the war, it's like flying a black flag over it," he added, "we will not be able to look in the eyes of fighters within our borders and beyond them, and ask them to extend their service."

The High Court of Justice previously imposed a deadline of this coming Wednesday for the government to explain in writing how it will present a new bill which will not violate principles of equality like the last law which the judiciary struck down as unequal in favor of Haredim.

(snip)

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, the main petitioner to the High Court for equal conscription to the draft law, responded to the days development, saying “For 25 years we have been tying ourselves in knots with bluffs and tricks that are only meant to postpone the decision and keep up the big lie that is equal conscription. The draft ‘evasion law’ that was made public today is another transparent and shameful attempt to continue to evade the obvious truth - there is no substitute for full and true equality before the law.”

“Equal conscription is an existential necessity for the State of Israel and Israeli society, and there is no way to achieve it other than the enactment of a uniform and equal recruitment law that will apply to all. Any other solution is a direct continuation of the fraud and lawlessness,” said the NGO.

(snip)

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-793508

[PufPuf23]

1. Conscription in Israel

The text below is a summary of conscription in Israel and is helpful understanding the issue in the article.

Conscription in Israel

Since the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, fixed-term military service has been compulsory in Israel. The draft laws of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) only apply to Jews (males and females), Druze (males only), and Circassians (males only). Because the Druze and Circassian communities are less populous, their women are exempted from mandatory military service altogether. Women from the Jewish community are not exempted, but serve for slightly shorter terms than their male counterparts. The IDF does not conscript non-Druze Arab citizens of Israel, though their men and women may enlist voluntarily.

Unique among the country's Jewish-majority population are the Haredi Jews, who have traditionally enjoyed full exemption from the IDF through a special government arrangement called Torato Umanuto, which was organized by Israel's founding prime minister David Ben-Gurion. This arrangement has become increasingly controversial in Israeli society, with growing discontent towards the increasingly populous Haredi community not "sharing the burden" of national duty.

As of 2022, the minimum required length of military service is two years and eight months (with some roles requiring an additional four months of service) for all conscripted men, and two years (with some roles requiring an additional eight months of service) for conscripted Jewish women.[1] Once they have completed their mandatory term of service, all discharged citizens remain eligible to be called up for reserve duty until the age of 40. Draftees may be exempted from military service on humanitarian, religious, or certain legal grounds.

more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Israel

[Uncle Joe]

2. Thanks for the addition PufPuf. n/t