International

The Supreme Court of Israel rules on the end of the military exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews

The Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday the end of the military exemption for young ultra-Orthodox Jews, a very controversial measure that has historically divided Israeli society, especially since the war in the Gaza Strip.

The Court decided that “there is no legal basis to exclude ultra-Orthodox men from recruitment” and that if they do not serve in the Army they should not receive educational and social assistance subsidies financed with public funds.

It is not clear whether this ruling implies the immediate sending of recruitment orders for the approximately 67,000 eligible Hareddi men – the equivalent of five military divisions – for compulsory military service at this time, or it will be a gradual process.

The two ultra-Orthodox parties – Shas and United Torah Judaism (JUT) – are frontally opposed to the recruitment of young Torah scholars and have threatened to leave Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government coalition if the measure enters into force, endangering the stability of the Executive, since they provide 18 vital seats.

“There has never been a ruling of the Supreme Court in favor of the students of the yeshivah and in the interest of the ultra-orthodox public. There is not a single judge there who understands the value of the study of the Torah and its contribution to the people of Israel,” said today one of the leaders of JUT, Rabbi and deputy Moshe Gafni.

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The military exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is not a law, but an executive provision that is prolonged periodically and that exists since the birth of the State of Israel, although there are several judicial judgments that indicate that it violates the principle of equality that governs the Israeli basic law.

The Israeli Supreme Court began at the beginning of June to hear arguments in the case of the military exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who since the formation of the State of Israel can avoid compulsory military service if they study full-time in a Talmudic school (yeshivah).

This issue has caused great divisions in Israeli society and within the government.

At the beginning of April, a temporary rule that allowed the exemption to be maintained expired, and numerous civil society groups have claimed to end the privileges of the ultra-Orthodox, which represent about 13% of the Israeli population.

The Government has been represented in this litigation by a private lawyer, since the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has declared herself against the military exemption, going so far as to declare that the Executive acts “without authority” when trying to prevent recruitment.

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After the massive mobilization of about 300,000 reservists for the war in Gaza, which has already lasted almost nine months, in addition to for battalions of soldiers both on the northern border with Lebanon and in the occupied territory of the West Bank, many Israelis demand that Netanyahu, that all young people in Israel fulfill their military “duty”.

“There is a real national need to extend the time of service of the soldiers of the permanent army and to extend the period of service of the reservists. Therefore, we are obliged to reach new agreements and make decisions that we had not made in 75 years,” said the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, on this issue.

International

Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka

Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.

The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.

An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.

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Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.

Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.

Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.

Internacionales

Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages

May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.

In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.

Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.

International

Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.

During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.

“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.

“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”

Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.

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On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.