Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday to protest against military draft exemptions for Orthodox Jews and Arab Israelis.

Police estimated that around 10,000 turned up to demonstrate in Tel Aviv, while local media put the number at 20,000. Protesters carried placards that read "equal service for all" and chanted "one people, one draft."

"Many of the people here are former soldiers of mine," Moshe Kaplinsky, a former Israeli general, told Channel 2 News.

"They are unfairly carrying most of the burden," he continued. "We are calling on the government to get it together, to stop playing games and make the right decisions."

Under the so-called Tal Law passed in 2002, Orthodox Jews and Arab Israelis are exempt from compulsory military service at the age of 18. Most Israelis serve two to three years and are often called up for reserve duty.

Orthodox Jews are exempt so that they can pursue religious studies. There are currently around 50,000 such exemptions.

Draft law overturned

But Israel's Supreme Court ruled the Tal Law illegal last February, setting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government an August 1 deadline to draft a new law.

Although Netanyahu has cautiously supported draft reform, he disbanded the panel drawing up proposals on Monday, under pressure from Orthodox parties in his coalition.

The panel did manage to issue a report, which suggested slashing the number of religious exemptions from 50,000 to 1,500 by 2016. It also called for the number of Arab Israelis serving to be tripled within five years from the current number of 2,400.

The head of the centrist Kadima party, Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz, has threatened to resign his post if the exemptions stand. Kadima is Likud's main coalition partner.

slk/pfd (AP, AFP, Reuters)