Major win for mainstream Israel against ultra-Orthodox and government

In a major blow to the government, Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the IDF must draft Haredi men.

As a result, the attorney general has ordered the defence establishment to immediately recruit 3000 soldiers from the ultra-Orthodox community.

The decision comes after nine years of legal and political wrangling and is a major win for judicial independence and mainstream Israel against ultra-Orthodox leverage over Israeli politics.

The ruling of the extended panel of nine High Court justices, led by acting president of Israel's Supreme Court Justice Uzi Vogelman, stated that "in the midst of a gruelling war, the burden of inequality is harsher than ever and demands a solution".

The justices noted in their ruling that when many soldiers are sacrificing their lives, "discrimination regarding the most precious thing of all – life itself – is of the worst kind".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties in his coalition that a new draft exemption law for Haredim will pass before the deadline of July 28, when the summer session of the Knesset ends.

If the exemption law does not get through, Haredi coalition partners could leave and dissolve the Knesset at the beginning of the next parliamentary session.

But they may also decide to stay, knowing that they would not be better off under an alternative government.

“We'll leave the government, and then what?" said one Haredi legislator. "We have no choice but to stay."