Prabhupada, Los Angeles, May 12, 1973: Of course, they have got clauses not to disturb the ministerial class. That exception is there. Many of our students was excused from being called by the draft board on the ground that they have adopted the religious, ministerial order. That rule is prevalent everywhere, at all times. Full Lecture
Supreme Court scraps army exemption law for Haredim
Feb 23, 2012, Tel Aviv, Israel — In landmark ruling, Israel’s Supreme Court has said it will scrap a law that for the past decade has legally allowed ultra-Orthodox Jews to study the Torah instead of performing their mandatory military service.
The Tal Law, now ruled unconstitutional as it violates the right to equality, currently has over 62,000 Haredi Yeshiva students exempted from military service. A figure which was just 10 years ago was only half and back in 1948 when the government unofficially began granting exemptions, there were only 400 exemptions.
The issue is divisive because many secular Israeli resent being unable to get out of mandatory army service and see the Haredim as a burden on public resources as a majority of their population depends on Israeli government assistance.
There has been a chorus of support from Knesset members on both sides of the floor. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has supported the ruling and opposition leader Tzipi Livni said “justice had been done”. The Haredim, in response, say that there is no way tens of thousands of yeshiva students can be forced to give up school. If need be, they say they will study the Torah in jail.
Some analysts believe the court ruling could fracture the coalition Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has with its ultra-Orthodox partners, Shas, potentially forcing an early election.
It’s unclear how or even if the army would enlist all of the exempted Haredim. The courts move comes at a time when Haredim population is doubling every 10 years and is expected to make up a third of Israel’s population in 50 years which, some believe, will help shrinking army enlistment.
source: http://jn1.tv/breaking-news/supreme-court-scraps-army-exemption-law-for-haredim.html
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