Controversy Surrounds Proposed Lowering of Age for Haredi Exemption in IDF Draft Law

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with coalition partners to discuss a potential new legislation on the military draft, which would lower the age at which members of the ultra-Orthodox community can get a formal exemption from service. The proposal would lower the age of final exemption from the army from the current 26 to 23 or 21. The Haredi population of Israel overwhelmingly opposes performing mandated national civil or military service, seeing it as a way for external forces to potentially draw away its members.