Israel ultra-Orthodox in mass rally over army draft

 

A mass prayer is been held in Jerusalem against plans to conscript more of their young men into the Israeli army of the ultra-Orthodox Jews.                       

A draft bill sets quotas for ultra-Orthodox Jews to join military or civilian public service. Those who refuse could go to the prison. Men and teenagers dressed in black hats and coats carried sign that "the holy Torah will win and please save me from the hands of my brothers" closing off the main entrance to Jerusalem and blocking off many roads to traffic with their demonstration. 

The ultra-Orthodox claim that serving the army or civilian public service would stop them devoting themselves to the study of religious scriptures which is seen as a foundation of Jewish life. The exemption from military conscription - given to the ultra-Orthodox Israel was created in 1948, following the fact that there were only 400 Yeshiva students at that time. Continue...

Now, owing to their high birth rate, the ultra-Orthodox account for about 10% of the country's eight million population. Most ultra-Orthodox men are unemployed because of their religious studies and dependence on donations, state benefits and their wives' wages to live. 

In the past, Israeli's coalition government have often relied on the support of the ultra-Orthodox partners, making it difficult to make political change that will affect their communities and has long caused resentment among Israeli's  secular majority leading to a demand for them to share the so-called social burden. 

However, the current Israeli cabinet has no ultra-Orthodox member and parties are pushing for the prime minister to make more reforms hoping that the new approach will make ultra-Orthodox men enter the workplace.