Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant demanded that
“all parties”
in the government support his reform of military service aimed at including ultra-Orthodox Jews, a decision seen Thursday by the press as a snub for Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the wake of the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7 and the war launched in retaliation by Israel against the Palestinian Islamist movement in power in the Gaza Strip, the debate has intensified in Israel on the sharing of the military burden.
“Together carrying the burden of military service has been a national challenge for 75 years
,” the Defense Minister said Wednesday evening at a press conference in Tel Aviv.
“This challenge has come to our door in wartime, the likes of which we have not experienced in 75 years.
This is why we must agree and take decisions such as we have not yet taken in 75 years
,” he added, referring to the year of creation of the State of Israel in 1948.
“Political bomb”
In Israel, military service is compulsory, but ultra-Orthodox Jews can benefit from exemptions on the grounds that they devote their time to studying Judaism's holy scriptures.
In his speech, Yoav Gallant indicated that he would only present military service reform to Parliament if it had the support of
“all parties in the coalition”
.
Former Defense Minister and member of the war cabinet Benny Gantz, whose National Union (center) party is largely in the lead in voting intentions, welcomed Yoav Gallant's comments.
“Gallant's speech is the most important statement made since the October 7 massacre.
It was much more explosive and powerful than all these boasts about “total victory” (...) because it gave Gantz and Eisenkot of the National Union party a veto power
,” wrote the daily Maariv on Thursday ( Center-right).
After the start of the war, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, leaders of this centrist party, joined the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
By conditioning the reform on the support of this party, Gallant, although a member of Netanyahu's Likud (right),
“challenged”
the latter and his allies from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, underlines Yediot Aharonot, the best-selling press title. Hebrew.
“Gallant made a declaration of independence.
He challenged Benjamin Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.
Gallant is the instigator and leader.
If there is a change it will be thanks to him, but also
Benny Gantz
and Gadi Eisenkot
,” writes Yediot.
For the N12 channel,
“Gallant yesterday dropped a political bomb whose importance should not be underestimated”
because it could
“lead to the dissolution of the government in a few weeks”
.
And added that if this happened,
“Gallant would not shed a tear”
.
In 2018, early elections had to be organized largely after Likud's failure to obtain a majority to pass a law on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews.