The new government formed recently in Israel has decided to create a commission to draft legislation on the enlistment of so-called ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredim, into the army (IDF) or alternative service.  This act is to replace the Tal Law, which expired on 31 August last year (1), in accordance with which this part of Israel's population, consisting of more than 800,000 people or 14 percent of the total number of ethnic Jews (and more than 25 percent of newborns) were exempt from military duty. Haredim are under-represented in the economy. Their main source of subsistence is lifelong stipends for studying the Torah and child benefits. Commentators have spoken of the secular revolution in Israel and the inevitable social disruptions in the country associated with changing the situation of the Haredim. This topic worries the local community even more than the outcome of negotiations between Palestine and Israel. The commission to draft new legislation will be chaired by former head of the Israeli security agency, Shin Bet, and Israel's current Science and Technology Minister, Yaakov Peri. Benjamin Netanyahu's newly-formed government has taken this risky step under pressure from coalition partners from the new «Yesh Atid» and «Jewish Home» parties headed by Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett respectively.

As noted by Shahar Ilan, director general of the non-governmental organisation Hiddush, which fights for religious freedom and equality for members of different faiths, «during the elections, the Israeli community made it clear that it was not prepared to continue financing tens of thousands of families of Yeshiva students who have decided not to work». (2)

Due to poor election results, Netanyahu was unable to form a broad coalition and his government relies on the support of just 68 out of 120 Knesset deputies. As a result, after several weeks of negotiations, Israel's 33rd government is made up of five factions and parties: «Likud-Beitenu», «Yesh Atid», «Jewish Home», «Hatnua» and «Kadima». For the first time, the government does not include any representatives of religious parties. In the previous government, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party was represented by 14 ministers. In the current government, however, he has only nine, including the post of prime minister. The important post of finance minister was given to Yair Lapid. The leader of «Jewish Home», Naftali Bennett, is head of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour. Netanyahu said that the main achievements of the coalition negotiations were that «Likud-Beitenu» retained the Ministry of Defence (Moshe Ya’alon) and the Ministry of the Interior (Gideon Sa'ar). Avigdor Lieberman is still officially foreign minister, but due to the court proceedings against him, his duties for the foreseeable future will be carried out by his deputy, Ze'ev Elkin from «Likud». Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is head of the «Hatnua» party, will be responsible for negotiations with Palestine.

Commenting on the details of the coalition agreement, analysts are paying special attention to the point on enlistment equality in military service, on the basis of which it seems the new law will be written. Each year, just 1800 religious school students of every military age will be exempt from enlistment. Those exempt from military service are obliged to continue their studies up to the age of 26. All the other young people from the religious sector will be enlisted into the IDF on the same basis as everyone else. As it states in the coalition agreement, «objectors» will be subject to economic sanctions. The coalition agreement also contains an item stating that students of religious institutions will be deprived of benefits from the National Insurance Fund. The criteria for receiving accommodation as part of the «Price for New Settlers» project are also going to change; now, indicators like presence on the labour market will be taken into account. Over a period of six months, the Ministry of Education must publish the teaching criteria for the compulsory subjects in the country's schools that fall under state subsidy. 

There is also an item in the coalition agreement regarding changing the country's system of power. According to the agreement, deputies will pass a law to increase the electoral threshold from two to four percent at the first session of the 19th Knesset. No more than 18 ministers will work in the government and there will be a total of four deputy ministers, which means that these positions will be set aside for key ministers. Also, it will only be possible to change this law with a majority of 70 or more parliamentary votes. 

The parliamentary coalition is also obliged to introduce changes to the law defining the state of Israel.  At present, Israel is defined as «a Jewish and democratic state». Should changes be introduced into the law, it will be called the «national home of the Jewish people». (3)

Furthermore, certain experts maintain that the «Yesh Atid» and «Jewish Home» parties have entered into secret agreements which are not part of the official coalition agreements. In particular, this refers to joint efforts to develop the institution of civil marriage in Israel.

According to the newspaper Maariv, Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett have also agreed to support each other in everything that concerns the activities of ministers and parliamentary commissions placed under the control of the parties they lead within the coalition agreement. In this way, the Ministry of Finance («Yesh Atid») and the Knesset Finance Committee («Jewish Home») will work closely with each other, as well as the Ministry of Housing and Construction («Jewish Home») and the Interministerial Committee on Construction («Yesh Atid»), which opens up more space for political manoeuvre.

Experts believe that tacit agreements between Lapid and Bennett will in many respects determine the agenda of the parliament and the government. Sources in both parties confirm the presence of such agreements and that they cover civil marriage. (4)

Ultra-Orthodox rabbis, politicians and press have already attacked the new Israeli cabinet, calling «the government evil and hateful»… According to the newspaper Hamishpacha, if all of the agreed measures are implemented, total annual losses to the Haredi sector will amount to approximately 2.3 billion shekels (650 million dollars), while the average annual loss to any one family will be nearly 70,000. The spiritual leader of the Haredi, Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, called the leader of the «Yesh Atid» party, Yair Lapid, «an evil man, who grew up with an evil father». One of the Knesset deputies from the United Torah Judaism party, Moshe Gafni, said that the current ruling coalition is «one of the worst governments that has ever ruled in Israel, both in spiritual and material terms». His party colleague, Uri Maklev, described the new government as a political organisation based on «an axis of hatred and persecution». Maklev declared: “This axis is itself based on a campaign of systematic and foundational hostility and harassment to the Torah world, the Haredi education system, the holy things of Israel and everything beloved of Judaism. Its partners established a covenant betraying God and His Torah». (5)

The «secularism» of the new Israeli cabinet is also being reinforced by its economic programme, which is based on the idea of a free market and free competition. For example, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Naftali Bennett, believes that in order to really achieve social justice, a blow must be delivered to the «feeders», referring to the oligarchs, big businesses, owners of pyramid schemes and large trade union committees of numerous state companies (port facilities, water distribution, aviation, electrical etc.). Bennett says that if he can only manage «to get them away from the feeding trough, destroy the various barriers and open up the door to normal market competition, prices will go down and along with prices, the cost of living will also go down». (6)

At the same time, the notion of «secular» in the context of Israel is not by any means the same as «atheistic». Supporters and members of «Yesh Atid» and especially the «Jewish Home» should not be confused with Western liberals. On many issues, in particular the issue of a Palestinian settlement, the strengthening of defence capabilities and the «Jewish nature» of Israel as a state, their views are rather conservative. They do not deny that Judaism has a special role in the creation and establishment of the Israeli state, but above all, they are trying to achieve a more even distribution of state duties between all sections of the population. So when it comes to Israel, talking about a social and democratic revolution as the rest of the world understands it is out of the question. A more appropriate assessment of the changes taking place in the country would be a postmodern revolution, where there is a mix of all kinds of socio-political and economic projects.

In addition, as researchers have noted, the old division between secular and religious no longer holds such importance in Israel. «Israel has become post-modern, producing new – and sometimes startling – synergies among its avant-garde high-tech sensibility, its secular and ever more orthodox religious identities, and its overall ethno-nationalist outlook. Its ancient biblical past can now coexist seamlessly with its ultra-modern present. Israel’s new millionaires can easily live in far-flung settlements in occupied territories and commute daily to their coastal startups.

“And the army has already become the purview of nationalistic and religious cadres, even without conscription of the ultra-orthodox.» As Diana Pinto writes on the Project Syndicate portal, «the Israeli state seems to be moving closer to its Asian counterparts, with their emphasis on economic innovation and their indifference to universal values or, for that matter, peace». (7)