From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 14, 2024
Government approves lengthening army service extension for male soldiers to 3 years
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The government votes to approve lengthening mandatory service for male Israel Defense Forces soldiers to three years after the move was held up over a dispute on the matter between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
According to the government decision, for the next five years, male soldiers will serve 36 months, meaning the order will effectively cover a period of eight years. It will also apply to soldiers currently serving as well as to women who are serving in positions that require them to sign a waiver that their service period will be equal to that of men in the same roles. At the end of the extension period, army service will return to the current 32-month term.
According to Hebrew media reports, the Attorney General’s Office informed ministers that the legality of the measure depends on how it fits in with broader efforts to enlist the ultra-Orthodox and equalize the burden of military service between various sectors of society.
While current military realities make the move necessary, it must be accompanied by the passage of a service outline for the ultra-Orthodox “to ensure that in a few years, we can again shorten the service and distribute it more equitably,” tweets former war cabinet minister Benny Gantz.
“He who has the courage to send soldiers into battle should also be expected to have the courage to endanger his coalition for the sake of Israel’s security,” he says.
