Israel's Supreme Court has ruled against an extension to a law that allows strictly Orthodox Jews to defer or limit their army service.
The Tal Law, which came into effect ten years ago, was ruled unconstitutional. It had enabled Israel's full-time yeshivah students to continue their studies, and delay their national service until they were 23, at which point they could continue their studies or perform only a year of service. Israelis are conscripted into the army at the age of 18, with women usually obliged to serve two years and men three.
The law will expire in August, but the Supreme Court ruled that the system should be scrapped rather than renewed in its current form.
According to Ha'aretz there are about 62,000 yeshivah students who would now be eligible to begin their service this summer.
