Israel has planned to extend compulsory military service for men from 2 years and 8 months to 3 years, ministers are scheduled to vote on Sunday.
The 3-year rule will continue for another eight years if the ministers approve, according to the local media Ynet news outlet. This development came amid the ongoing war with Hamas and ongoing debates within the government regarding legislation aimed at drafting male members of the ultra-Orthodox community.
Israel’s military commanders have said they need to boost manpower so they can sustain the war with the Hamas militant group in Gaza and a confrontation with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia, Reuters reported.
At the end of the extension period, army service will return to the current 32-month commitment.
Meanwhile, the movement for quality government, a watchdog organization, strongly criticized the decision to extend military service for current soldiers, calling it a “scandalous decision.”
Opponents argue that the proposed bill will effectively allow large numbers of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students to avoid being drafted into the army, according to the Times of Israel.
In a statement, the group denounced the move as a “cynical and outrageous step,” asserting that extending the service of current soldiers without recruiting members of the Haredi community “constitutes a moral injustice and a crime against the fighters who bear the burden” of military service. The statement highlighted an estimate of 63,000 Haredi men who are eligible for the draft and urged the government to reconsider its decision, instead focusing on extending service to those already serving in the military.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, the progress of the extension had been delayed due to a disagreement between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the issue, as per Times of Israel.
The 3-year rule will continue for another eight years if the ministers approve, according to the local media Ynet news outlet. This development came amid the ongoing war with Hamas and ongoing debates within the government regarding legislation aimed at drafting male members of the ultra-Orthodox community.
Israel’s military commanders have said they need to boost manpower so they can sustain the war with the Hamas militant group in Gaza and a confrontation with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia, Reuters reported.
At the end of the extension period, army service will return to the current 32-month commitment.
Meanwhile, the movement for quality government, a watchdog organization, strongly criticized the decision to extend military service for current soldiers, calling it a “scandalous decision.”
Opponents argue that the proposed bill will effectively allow large numbers of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students to avoid being drafted into the army, according to the Times of Israel.
In a statement, the group denounced the move as a “cynical and outrageous step,” asserting that extending the service of current soldiers without recruiting members of the Haredi community “constitutes a moral injustice and a crime against the fighters who bear the burden” of military service. The statement highlighted an estimate of 63,000 Haredi men who are eligible for the draft and urged the government to reconsider its decision, instead focusing on extending service to those already serving in the military.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, the progress of the extension had been delayed due to a disagreement between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the issue, as per Times of Israel.
