Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus coalition government has committed to increase drafting ultra-Orthodox men, most of whom receive exemptions on religious grounds, in order to share the national burden and reduce pressure on the middle classes. The party of Finance Minister Yair Lapid, Netanyahus main coalition partner, received wide support at the polls in January on a pledge to resist demands by religious parties and to spread the load of army service and taxation more evenly. Military service is compulsory in Israel, with men serving three years and women two. But tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox are currently exempted from army service by virtue of being enrolled in religious seminaries, or yeshivas. Any move to expand the draft is vehemently opposed by the two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up some 10 percent of Israels population of eight million. Most do not work and rely heavily on state subsidies for their religious studies and to support their families. About 60 percent of ultra-Orthodox men engage in full-time Jewish religious studies, keeping them out of the labour market. On Tuesday, the cabinet approved a budget draft that will slash spending and hike taxes this year, and next, to rein in a growing budget deficit. Lapid has warned that failure to implement public spending cuts could cause an economic collapse.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 14:52:44 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015