Ultra-Orthodox Protest Military Service, Not Military Funding
Al-Monitor reports thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews rallied in Jerusalem, protesting mandatory military service, a longstanding demand from Prime Minister Netanyahu to integrate them into the Israeli Defense Forces. They claim this exemption is key to their religious studies. Curiously, this religious devotion rarely extends to rejecting the billions in U.S. military aid that funds the very system
they refuse to join. While these groups burn tarpaulins in Jerusalem to avoid enlistment, politicians like Rep. Chris Smith—who received $20,000 from AIPAC-affiliated PACs in 2022, according to OpenSecrets.org—consistently vote for bills like HR 815, providing billions in military support to Israel. So, these protesters get to opt out, while American taxpayers are involuntarily conscripted into
funding the enterprise. One might wonder, how many "religious exemptions" do American citizens get from their tax obligations to foreign militaries?