Israel's parliament passed a temporary exemption protecting tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men from military prosecution and enlistment until November.
Where this was said
At 2:29 · chapter starts 2:25
NPR's Carrie Kahn reports from Tel Aviv on a deeply contested vote in the Israeli parliament [1] — Carrie Kahn "Israel's parliament passed a temporary exemption shielding tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men from military service and prosecution un…" 02:15 . Ultra-Orthodox parties, vital to Netanyahu's far-right governing coalition, threatened to withdraw support for a slate of controversial legislation unless they secured military service exemptions for tens of thousands of religious men. Netanyahu, also pushing to overhaul Israel's judicial system before lawmakers recess for summer, was in no position to call their bluff. The result: a bill passed protecting ultra-Orthodox men from prosecution and enlistment until November. The backlash was fierce — opponents flooded social media with cries of 'shame,' while Israel's military chief of staff issued a stark public rebuke, calling the law 'inconceivable' and 'unequivocally inconsistent with Israeli troop needs' at a time when the country remains at war.
Israel's military chief of staff called the ultra-Orthodox exemption law inconceivable and unequivocally inconsistent with troop needs.
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