Israel’s Knesset advances contentious ultra-Orthodox conscription law

Far-right religious parties are backing the bill with a view to inserting changes and limiting conscription.

The Israeli Knesset has voted to revive a bill that would end exemption on military conscription for some ultra-Orthodox religious students.

The 63-57 vote in the parliament late on Monday means that the legislation will now head to committee review. The return of the bill from the previous parliament has provoked anger from opponents as well as those that say it does not extend conscription sufficiently, as Israel conducts the war in Gaza and deals with expanding conflict with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other Iran-linked forces across the region.

The legislation aims to slowly ramp up conscription among the ultra-Orthodox, whose members have for decades enjoyed exemptions to study the Torah.

However, it would also lower the age of exemption from mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews from 26 to 21, thereby limiting the numbers that could be called up to serve.

That saw far-right and religious factions support the vote, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while it was opposed by more moderate and military-linked factions, who say it does not do enough to ensure conscription at a time when the country increasingly needs soldiers.