Latest news with #militarydraft
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Mandatory military service for Israel's ultra-Orthodox tests Netanyahu's rule
JERUSALEM — The deadliest attack in Israel's history happened on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's watch. The country's economy is struggling under the weight of the ongoing war in Gaza . And Netanyahu is on trial for corruption. Yet a far more obscure issue is posing the greatest test to Netanyahu's lengthy rule : the draft of young ultra-Orthodox men to the military.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Mandatory military service for Israel's ultra-Orthodox tests Netanyahu's rule
JERUSALEM (AP) — The deadliest attack in Israel's history happened on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's watch. The country's economy is struggling under the weight of the ongoing war in Gaza. And Netanyahu is on trial for corruption. Yet a far more obscure issue is posing the greatest test to Netanyahu's lengthy rule: the draft of young ultra-Orthodox men to the military. It's an issue that has long divided Jewish Israelis, for whom military service is compulsory. But a decades-old arrangement long allowed tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews to avoid the draft and study religious texts instead. Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners want the government to pass a law that would enshrine their constituents' desire to stay out of the military. The issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment has long inflamed tensions between secular and religious Jews. That has only intensified since the war in Gaza began, when the burden on soldiers has been prominent in the public consciousness. Why is the draft of the ultra-Orthodox such a pivotal issue in Israel? Decades-long system of draft exemptions Most Jewish men are required to serve nearly three years in the military, followed by years of reserve duty. Jewish women serve two mandatory years. But the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israel's population, have traditionally received exemptions from the military while studying full-time in religious seminaries, or yeshivas. The religious exemption dates back to Israel's founding 80 years ago, a compromise the country's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, made with ultra-Orthodox leaders to allow some 400 Jewish seminary students to devote themselves fully to Torah study. The significant growth of the ultra-Orthodox population since then has made the exemption a hugely divisive issue to Israeli society. Some 66,000 enlistment age men currently study in seminaries. The war in Gaza has deepened divisions over the issue The decades-old system has bred widespread resentment among the broader Jewish public, a feeling that has deepened during the 20-monthlong war in Gaza and the regional conflicts it sparked. For much of that time, many Israelis viewed the fighting as an existential battle for their country's security in the Middle East. Nearly 870 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the fighting. Reserve soldiers have repeatedly been called up, often for weeks at a time, leaving jobs and families to serve in a war that Israelis increasingly view as having run its course. The ultra-Orthodox say they carry their share of the burden to society through prayer and study of sacred texts. Many fear that greater contact with secular society through the military will distance adherents from strict observance of the faith. The ultra-Orthodox are politically powerful After years of legal battles, the country's High Court last year ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service. The military has since attempted to increase call ups for ultra-Orthodox men, to little success. Out of 12,000 draft orders sent since the High Court ruling, only dozens of ultra-Orthodox have actually enlisted, said Shuki Friedman, vice president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. Netanyahu needs political support from the ultra-Orthodox to remain in power. That support is all the more important to him because public opinion polls show he would struggle to form a coalition if elections were held now. Netanyahu has promised his politically powerful ultra-Orthodox governing partners that he would find a way out of the quagmire that would protect their interests. But with a few holdouts in his Likud party urging a more just approach, the ultra-Orthodox parties have grown increasingly impatient with the lack of a resolution. The war in Gaza has added a new dimension to the years-old quarrel and foisted the issue of fair enlistment to the foreground. Sensing a political opportunity emerging from the ultra-Orthodox community's frustration with Netanyahu and the broader Jewish public's desire for an equitable draft, the country's opposition is pouncing. Elections aren't guaranteed, or immediate On Wednesday or early Thursday, legislators are expected to hold a preliminary vote in parliament on the motion. If it passes with the support of the ultra-Orthodox parties — which isn't guaranteed — the bill then heads to committee to be lined up for the first reading and then later a second and final vote. That could take days or weeks depending on each sides' strategy. The first votes need a plurality to pass while the third and final votes need at least 61 of the 120 members of Knesset. If any of the votes fail to pass, the bill falls and the opposition cannot attempt to dissolve parliament for another six months. If it passes, new elections are triggered. Those wouldn't happen for another three to six months.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Mandatory military service for Israel's ultra-Orthodox tests Netanyahu's rule
The deadliest attack in Israel's history happened on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's watch. The country's economy is struggling under the weight of the ongoing war in Gaza. And Netanyahu is on trial for corruption. Yet a far more obscure issue is posing the greatest test to Netanyahu's lengthy rule: the draft of young ultra-Orthodox men to the military. It's an issue that has long divided Jewish Israelis, for whom military service is compulsory. But a decades-old arrangement long allowed tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews to avoid the draft and study religious texts instead. Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners want the government to pass a law that would enshrine their constituents' desire to stay out of the military. The issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment has long inflamed tensions between secular and religious Jews. That has only intensified since the war in Gaza began, when the burden on soldiers has been prominent in the public consciousness. Why is the draft of the ultra-Orthodox such a pivotal issue in Israel? Decades-long system of draft exemptions Most Jewish men are required to serve nearly three years in the military, followed by years of reserve duty. Jewish women serve two mandatory years. But the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israel 's population, have traditionally received exemptions from the military while studying full-time in religious seminaries, or yeshivas. The religious exemption dates back to Israel's founding 80 years ago, a compromise the country's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, made with ultra-Orthodox leaders to allow some 400 Jewish seminary students to devote themselves fully to Torah study. The significant growth of the ultra-Orthodox population since then has made the exemption a hugely divisive issue to Israeli society. Some 66,000 enlistment age men currently study in seminaries. The war in Gaza has deepened divisions over the issue The decades-old system has bred widespread resentment among the broader Jewish public, a feeling that has deepened during the 20-monthlong war in Gaza and the regional conflicts it sparked. For much of that time, many Israelis viewed the fighting as an existential battle for their country's security in the Middle East. Nearly 870 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the fighting. Reserve soldiers have repeatedly been called up, often for weeks at a time, leaving jobs and families to serve in a war that Israelis increasingly view as having run its course. The ultra-Orthodox say they carry their share of the burden to society through prayer and study of sacred texts. Many fear that greater contact with secular society through the military will distance adherents from strict observance of the faith. The ultra-Orthodox are politically powerful After years of legal battles, the country's High Court last year ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service. The military has since attempted to increase call ups for ultra-Orthodox men, to little success. Out of 12,000 draft orders sent since the High Court ruling, only dozens of ultra-Orthodox have actually enlisted, said Shuki Friedman, vice president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. Netanyahu needs political support from the ultra-Orthodox to remain in power. That support is all the more important to him because public opinion polls show he would struggle to form a coalition if elections were held now. Netanyahu has promised his politically powerful ultra-Orthodox governing partners that he would find a way out of the quagmire that would protect their interests. But with a few holdouts in his Likud party urging a more just approach, the ultra-Orthodox parties have grown increasingly impatient with the lack of a resolution. The war in Gaza has added a new dimension to the years-old quarrel and foisted the issue of fair enlistment to the foreground. Sensing a political opportunity emerging from the ultra-Orthodox community's frustration with Netanyahu and the broader Jewish public's desire for an equitable draft, the country's opposition is pouncing. Elections aren't guaranteed, or immediate On Wednesday or early Thursday, legislators are expected to hold a preliminary vote in parliament on the motion. If it passes with the support of the ultra-Orthodox parties — which isn't guaranteed — the bill then heads to committee to be lined up for the first reading and then later a second and final vote. That could take days or weeks depending on each sides' strategy. The first votes need a plurality to pass while the third and final votes need at least 61 of the 120 members of Knesset. If any of the votes fail to pass, the bill falls and the opposition cannot attempt to dissolve parliament for another six months. If it passes, new elections are triggered. Those wouldn't happen for another three to six months.
CNN
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Are these celebrities trying to dodge the draft in Taiwan?
Taiwan authorities have questioned nearly a dozen celebrities for allegedly dodging their mandatory military draft. The series of high-profile interrogations is a symptom of a longstanding problem recruiting willing and able-bodied men into the military. This comes at a time when the self-ruled island is facing ongoing threats of a potential Chinese invasion, pushing the government to reform the military and turn its image around.
CBS News
09-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Vietnam 50 Years Later: Twin Cities vets return to Asia decades after the war
The Vietnam War holds a unique place in American history. It stands as the last conflict to involve a military draft, and in every meaningful way, the U.S. "lost" the war. This loss wasn't just a big military and political blow; it also left deep emotional wounds, changed the country's foreign policy and had a huge impact on the lives of many veterans and civilians. For a growing number of veterans, some of the wounds could only begin to heal with a trip back to Vietnam years, if not decades, after they served. That was a case for two veterans from St. Louis Park: Jeff Roy and Bruce Berry. Roy and Berry each discovered their duty to their country collided at a moral crossroads in Vietnam. Both went into service during the height of the war; both were just around 20 years old; and both were met with reality not long after they arrived. Decades after they came home, the regret and wonder of what had happened to the country, and its people, stayed with them. "The picture in my mind that I had of leaving and all the destruction we left, and the death," Berry said. Then were each presented with opportunities to go back, one neither could turn down. "I thought, 'Huh, I think I'd like to,'" Roy said. "No fond memories, but I realized that I liked the Vietnamese people." Left to right: Jeff Roy and Bruce Berry WCCO "Vietnam had just reopened their international travel and I thought, 'Oh man, I could do that, I could do that,'" Berry said. "It's like I could sort of reinvent the pictures in my mind that were stuck to see what it looked like now." And so they did. Berry went with his son for three weeks in 1997, and Roy with his wife visited in 2018. Berry retraced his steps across the country and visited some of the places he served during the war. "I just loved seeing people be and doing what they do and in what they do in different ways," Berry said. "It's just a lovely thing to see." Roy went on a tour with the organization Veterans for Peace, where they traveled to some of the hardest hit places, like My Lai, where a 1968 massacre left more than 300 unarmed civilians dead. They even traveled to the communist capitol of the north, Hanoi. "The idea of going to Hanoi is like, 'Whoa, boy, that's way up there and that's exotic, and what will it be like,' and the people were just absolutely incredible. They were so welcoming," Roy said. Both were able to see the country in a different light, and feel a sense of closure. "It told me that I was right to have been against the war," Roy said. "It told me that these people, north or south, were just very normal human beings who had their desires to live a safe and healthy life and to raise families." "It's amazing how it works," Berry said. "Cultures figure out ways to continue living even after what had happened, and the generations that followed." Veterans for Peace is taking another full flight of veterans back to Vietnam to mark the 50th anniversary. This story is part of the WCCO documentary "Vietnam 50 Years Later: Reflection on a War that Changed Minnesota," by reporter Pauleen Le and photojournalist Art Phillips. Watch the full documentary below, or on our YouTube channel.
