Israel’s Top Court Says Ultra-Orthodox Men Must Serve in Military

Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously decided on Tuesday, with a 9-0 vote that the government is required to enlist ultra-Orthodox men into the military, stating that the current exemption scheme is “unconstitutional.”

“The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that at this time there is no legal framework that makes it possible to distinguish between students of the yeshivas and others,” it is said in the document. Moreover, the Supreme Court noted that the government needs to stop funding transfers for students who received an exemption or whose military service was postponed. Yeshivas are recognized as institutions where students focus on studying Jewish Rabbinic literature.