Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews demonstrated outside of the Israeli military enlistment office in Jerusalem on Wednesday against the nation’s mandatory enlistment policy that has been extended to include them.
Approximately 3,000 members of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population have received a summons in recent weeks after Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the government to begin drafting men in their community into the Israel Defence Forces.
Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women, who commonly serve 2 to 3 years of active duty and engage in reserve duty until age 40.