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Jerusalem — Israel’s executive branch approved on Sunday an extension of compulsory military service for men to 36 months from 32 over the next five years, amid growing fears of a new open war with Shiite Hezbollah over the Middle East’s northern border amid a war with Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
According to local media reports, the new order will apply to active-duty soldiers as well as women who are required to sign a waiver to ensure that their service period is the same as that of men, according to the government’s decision.
Under the new law, after the extension period ends, compulsory military service will revert to 32 months unless an extension is approved.
On the other hand, the law does not apply to all branches: some branches that previously required recruits to serve for 28 months will now serve for 32 months. In addition, starting from the 33rd month of service, soldiers will receive higher income.
The Attorney General’s Office informed the government cabinet that the legality of the measure depended on broader efforts to recruit soldiers from within the ultra-Orthodox community and to equalize the burden of military service across all segments of society.
The new law is likely to be approved by parliament and ratified by the end of this month.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last Tuesday approved the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) starting in August, following a Supreme Court ruling that forced the Army to include this segment of the population.
The issue has sparked angry reactions from the Orthodox population, who fear that by sending their young men to the military they will lose their extreme religious customs and traditions and abandon their communities.
Israel’s armed forces have warned that they will only be able to recruit about 3,000 young Orthodox men by 2024 (out of nearly 63,000 currently) because they have special requirements regarding diet or living with women, and the army will have to accommodate the new recruits in special forces.
Since Israel’s founding in 1948, young men who study full-time in a Talmud school (yeshiva) have been exempt from military service, which has been mandatory for much of Israeli society (Israeli Arabs are also exempt).
The exemption, which was extended a few months ago through special terms, has been a source of controversy, especially after the outbreak of the Gaza war and escalating tensions on the Lebanese border. The Army is on the brink of a personnel crisis. JS
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