This is a historic decision. And one that has the potential to shake up Israel’s politics and exacerbate the “culture war” taking place in the country. The Supreme Court ruled with rare unanimity that ultra-Orthodox Jews must also perform military service. Those who refuse will no longer receive state subsidies. The decision came after a military exemption for Orthodox Jews expired in March 2024.
Different trends within Judaism
Unlike Christianity, Judaism does not have different confessions or denominations. Instead, a distinction is made between secular, liberal, conservative, Orthodox, and ultra-Orthodox Jews. The differences, in terms of their lives and social environments, are great.
Who is really ultra-Orthodox? The key is in the scope and coherence with which the regulations of the oral and written tradition of God’s commandments are interpreted. The ultra-Orthodox advocate a literal interpretation. His life revolves around prayer and the desire to live according to the commandments. It is not unusual for a well-known rabbi to lead certain hierarchical movements.
Separation by sex on the bus
This form of religious interpretation affects many aspects of daily life. Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, for example, object to taking the same bus as a woman. For this reason, there are buses segregated by sex on the routes that circulate between the Western Wall and the neighborhoods where many ultra-Orthodox live.
Conflicts between ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews have intensified recently. The “LGBTIQ+ Pride March” in Jerusalem could only take place under massive police protection.
Such confrontations are not new. In 1996, a 46-year-old artist, David Palombo, died when his motorcycle crashed into a metal chain. Ultra-Orthodox Jews had laid it across the street to prevent traffic in their neighbourhood on Shabbat.
Birth rate among ultra-Orthodox on the rise
Ultra-Orthodox families have a significantly higher birth rate than other families in Israel. As a result, the proportion of ultra-Orthodox in the population has been steadily increasing for decades. Forty years ago, the ultra-Orthodox made up only 4 percent of the population; today they are 12 percent. In 20 years, the group is expected to make up 20 percent of the national population.
A few decades ago, the ultra-Orthodox interpretation was prevalent only in a few neighborhoods in Jerusalem. At that time, tourists would visit the Mea Sharim neighborhood to observe ultra-Orthodox life. Today, however, the ultra-Orthodox trend predominates in large parts of the city. The second city with the largest ultra-Orthodox population in Israel is Bnei Brak, northeast of Tel Aviv.
Internationally, there are large ultra-Orthodox groups, especially in the US, in the New York neighborhood of Brooklyn and in the bordering state of New Jersey. Before the Holocaust, with the murder of millions of Jewish people at the hands of Nazi Germany, the ultra-Orthodox lived mainly in Eastern Europe. Millions of them died in the Nazi gas chambers.
Growing influence of ultra-Orthodox in Israeli politics
There are several parties in Israel’s political landscape that represent the interests of the ultra-Orthodox. In recent decades, for example, they have pushed for a massive expansion of ultra-Orthodox schools.
To form his current coalition, which also includes far-right elements, Benjamin Netanyahu made an agreement with the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism (Yahadut HaTora). However, these parties have now threatened to withdraw from the government.
Since the terrorist attack carried out by the radical Islamist organization Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, the threat to Israel and its military has grown, especially on the northern border. As the military intervention in the Gaza Strip continues, the army now wants to recruit ultra-Orthodox men. According to the Israeli army, almost 300 men and women in uniform have lost their lives.
The supreme court wants to ensure that the government acts accordingly. The situation is delicate because the State of Israel does not have a written constitution and for ultra-Orthodox Jews, the supreme court “is nothing more than a secular authority”, so it has little relevance for them.
(akg/ers)
