In a landmark ruling, Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the country’s military to begin drafting ultra-orthodox men, reversing a long-standing cultural exemption to otherwise compulsory service that the AP reports could “lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition” given his regime’s reliance on the political support of religious extremists.
The exemption was, for obvious reasons, pretty controversial among the less hardcore of Israel’s Jewish population, fueling resentment from less conservative and even secular Israelis bled to protect the nation that has increased following the October 7th massacre. More than 600 IDF personnel were killed in the attack and the now nearly nine months of subsequent fighting in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s Regime had argued to the court that the end of the exemption would “tear Israeli society apart,” a very Trump-ish, l’État, c’est moi conflation of “society” with the corrupt dictator’s political survival as compelling the Ultras into service may lead to their parties leaving his coalition, triggering snap elections that “Bibi” is not at all favored to survive as prime minister.