ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEWS

Ultra-orthodox Jewish men don't do very much except study religious texts. They are also very conservative, which leads to large families in which the wife often stays at home and does not work. That combination puts heavy pressure on the Israeli welfare state. From about 400 or so when Israel was created in 1948, the ultra-Orthodox have grown to around 800,000, roughly 10% of the population.

Secular Israelis are fed up with this drain on their resources. In particular, they are fed up with the exemption from obligatory military service, which is given to the ultra-Orthodox.The obligation is a heavy one, three years for men and two for women; and applies to virtually all other Israelis. A recently passed law will gradually remove the exemption for all but a few "gifted scholars"; ultra-Orthodox who refuse to comply will be subject to criminal sanctions, including prison. The ultra-Orthodox are up in arms.

This is the first stage in what is likely to become an increasingly bitter fight between secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis. On the one side is the majority, who think that a population with a 10% deadweight is both ridiculous and unsustainable. On the other is a minority, who believe passionately that the study of religious texts is a key part of Jewish culture and heritage. The result of that fight will determine Israeli society for many years to come.

Walter Blotscher