#Israel / High Court is hearing petitions challenging the military exemption for ultra-Orthodox #yeshiva students
This is a contentious issue that has sparked mass protests outside the court in Jerusalem. The "Movement for Quality Government", joined by "Brothers and Sisters in Arms" and 240 citizens, petitioned the court, arguing that Defense Minister Yoav #Gallant is illegally exempting tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox youths from military service, defying the law and court rulings. Last week, the state told the High Court of Justice that unless a military draft bill is advanced by April 1, ultra-Orthodox men will be conscripted to the army.
A reminder of the potential consequences of integrating settlers and ultra-Orthodox into the #IDF/#IOF:
[...] The Netzah Yehuda battalion was originally set up to allow ultra-Orthodox Israelis to serve in the military. But over the years, the unit has attracted not only some of the most religious soldiers, but also a growing number of far-right extremists, including many settlers. Unlike other units, enlistment in Netzah Yehuda is voluntary; until recently, it was deployed exclusively in the West Bank, where its members were in daily contact with Palestinians living under occupation. As such, the unit — whose name is an acronym for “Haredi Military Youth” — was known for getting “a lot of action,” the former member said.
[...] The harassment and dehumanization of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation are a daily affair, and Netzah Yehuda soldiers are hardly the only culprits. But on some occasions, the unit’s actions in the West Bank escalated into gross human rights violations and potential war crimes. Since 2015, members of the unit have killed several Palestinians and beaten and tortured others with electric shocks, according to documentation submitted by DAWN to the ICC, which in 2021 opened an investigation into alleged crimes committed in the occupied territories.