The Israeli government is due to introduce a law to increase recruitment among members of the religious community. Most Jewish men are required to do military service for almost three years and then serve years in the reserves.
But the ultra-Orthodox, politically powerful and representative of about 13% of Israeli society, are traditionally exempt if they study full-time in religious seminaries. The Supreme Court has ruled that the current system is discriminatory and has given the government until April 1 to present a bill and until June 30 to approve it.