Israel ultra-Orthodox party 'spiritual leader' completely rules out military draft

The spiritual leader of a key ultra-Orthodox party in Israel's governing coalition has said he will oppose conscription of young Haredi Jews even if they are unemployed and out of education.

This week, the Israeli Supreme Court unanimously backed a civil society petition demanding the government begin the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have for decades been exempt from the draft due to their status as religious students.

Rabbi Moshe Maya, a senior member of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, said his ultra-Orthodox party would oppose the recruitment of all Haredi Jews, regardless of their education or employment status.

"It’s forbidden for those who don’t study to go to the army. Those who do will end up violating the Shabbat," said Maya, according to The Times of Israel.

Shas is one of the key ultra-Orthodox parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-led government and have been perhaps the fiercest opponent to the Haredi draft law in the Israeli political spectrum.

The party is led by controversial far-right politician Aryeh Deri, who has previously been convicted for tax fraud, and represents Israel's Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi communities who have traditionally avoided conscription, particularly those attending yeshiva seminaries.

Secular Israelis, who have to do mandatory national service, have fiercely opposed the exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews, with the mass call-up during the war on Gaza increasing tensions.

Maya said that despite thousands of reservists, many living abroad, enlisting for service he would continue to oppose the draft for Haredis as religious study was vital to Israel's war on Gaza, where nearly 38,000 Palestinians have been killed and the enclave utterly destroyed.

"If not for the Torah students, there would be many more fatalities [for Israel's military]," Maya told Kol Baramah.

"We pray and shed countless tears for the soldiers, that the hostages return. Our role in the war is to study and study and the Almighty will strike our enemies with softness, weakness and fear."

There are deep divisions within Netanyahu's government on the issue with Shas threatening to quit if the Haredi draft law goes ahead.

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, a member of the Likud Party, has said Netanyahu must listen to the court's order and begin the recruitment of Haredi Jews, a sentiment backed by the Israeli opposition.

By law, Netanyahu must begin the conscription of Haredi, but the community say they will oppose the draft creating an awkward situation for the prime minister who is trying to keep ultra-Orthodox parties in his coalition.