Shows Rabbi Menachem Parosh of the Agudat Ysrael party (one of the religious party allies of NRP) proposing the amendment one of the opposition speakers proposing amendment (to the amendment vote on proposal won by govt. (which can be used as ??? final vote) House emptying as debate drones on.




Initials


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This issue has been one of the most decisive in the nation's history. There have been demos, girls going to jail for refusing to be inducted -- as a protest -- and the local press fulminating. The issue of getting places in schools, first crack at jobs, etc. is all tied up in it. And as only a minor percentage of the nation is deeply religious, the govt. is losing a lot of support over the issue.

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Background: If Prime Minister Begin's government comes unstuck, one of the major causes will not be settlements, or even the economy, but the issue of obligatory military service. A bill to exempt religious girls got through the Knesset early this year, though they were still required to do national service as hospital aided etc. As part of the price for support of the National Religious Party (NRP), the govt. introduced amendment to the National Service law exempting religious girls from any form of service. For the first time in 30 years of Knesset controversy, the opposition attempted to filibuster the bill to death. Every member of the Labour opposition, and a number of the other parties, asked to speak. The debate ran far into the night on Monday (23.7)