Jerusalem - Parliament yesterday rejected a bill to oblige young Orthodox Jews to carry out compulsory military service, resolving an issue which had threatened to divide Israel's ruling coalition.
A total of 53 deputies voted against the bill, put forward by the Labour opposition, while 45 voted in favour and four abstained. Parties representing the Arab population voted with the ruling ultra-Orthodox and right-wing coalition against the proposal, fearing that it would set a precedent for possible compulsory military service for Arabs.
