Israel’s parliament approves laws to enshrine exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from military service

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s parliament has approved laws that effectively   halt the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men   in the country’s military in a last-ditch effort by Prime Minister Benjamin   Netanyahu’s ruling coalition   to woo religious political parties ahead of elections in the fall.

Lawmakers voted in a marathon session on Monday and Tuesday to both freeze the arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders and to enshrine Jewish religious studies as a “foundational value” of the state.

Both laws represent significant concessions by Netanyahu’s Likud party to ultra-Orthodox politicians seeking to formalize their community’s de facto exemption from serving in the military, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women in Israel.

The military is already grappling with troop shortages and many Israelis have grown tired of the longstanding system that allowed ultra-Orthodox men to avoid service. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but less than 10% enlist, according to a parliamentary committee.

The laws come in the wake of nearly three years of wars — from Gaza to Lebanon and Iran — and ahead of the Knesset’s break for…