Israel's military will begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men on Sunday. It could rattle the government

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men on Sunday — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

The announcement followed a landmark Supreme Court order for young religious men to begin enlisting for military service. Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men.

The exemptions created resentment among the general public in Israel, especially after more than nine months of war against Hamas militants in Gaza. The army summons is the beginning of a monthslong enlistment process that could be difficult to enforce if there is large-scale refusal to comply. The army did not say when it expects ultra-Orthodox men to begin serving or how many it expects to enlist.

The court ruled that the system of exemptions, which allow religious men to study in Jewish seminaries while others are forced to serve in the army, was discriminatory. Ultra-Orthodox leaders say religious study is equally important for the country's future and that their generations-old way of life will be threatened if their followers serve in the army.

Netanyahu's government relies on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties that oppose changes to the system. Religious leaders have not said what steps they will take. If they leave the ruling coalition, the government would likely topple and the country would be plunged into early elections two years ahead of schedule.

Past attempts to enlist ultra-Orthodox men have triggered mass protests in ultra-Orthodox communities.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men blocked a main highway in central Israel for several hours on Tuesday in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv. Police on horseback pushed the crowd back, and officers dragged protesters away. Police said nine people were arrested.

“The army is not an army for fighting. It's an army with indoctrination" against religion, said Yona Kay, a protester. “Therefore our children, our boys — and I have a son over here — will not go to the army, not for one minute.”

On Monday night, dozens of ultra-Orthodox surrounded the cars of senior military commanders who were meeting with local rabbis in Bnei Brak to discuss an ultra-Orthodox unit in the army. The crowd threatened the officers, calling them “murderers” and throwing bottles, according to Israeli media.

Israeli mounted police disperse Ultra-Orthodox Jews blocking a highway during a protest against military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week, a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli mounted police disperse Ultra-Orthodox Jews blocking a highway during a protest against military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week, a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli mounted police disperse Ultra-Orthodox Jews blocking a highway during a protest against military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week, a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli Police remove ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth blocking a road to protest military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth block a road to protest military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli Police are deployed as ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth block a road to protest military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli Police remove an ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth blocking a road to protest military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli Police remove ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth blocking a road to protest military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli Police remove ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth blocking a road to protest military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli Police remove ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth blocking a road to protest military recruitment in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and trigger more large protests in the community. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

FILE - Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men clash with police during a protest against army recruitment in Jerusalem, June 30, 2024. The Israeli military said it will begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men on Sunday, July 21. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

FILE - Israeli police officers disperse Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men blocking a highway during a protest against army recruitment in Bnei Brak, Israel, June 27, 2024. The Israeli military said it will begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men on Sunday, July 21. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

HONOLULU (AP) — Hone passed south of Hawaii and weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Sunday, dumping so much rain that the National Weather Service called off its red flag warnings that strong winds could lead to wildfires on the drier sides of the islands.

Meanwhile, the eastern Pacific saw a new threat emerge as Tropical Storm Hector formed, packing top sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect as Hector churned far out at sea, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hone (pronounced hoe-NEH) had top winds of 70 mph (110 kph) Sunday night as it swirled slowly past Hawaii about 180 miles (290 kilometers) southwest of Honolulu and 185 miles (300 kilometers) south of Lihue, according to an 11 p.m. advisory from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Jon Jelsema, a senior forecaster at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, said earlier Sunday that tropical storm force winds were blowing across the island’s southeast-facing slopes, carrying up to a foot (30 centimeters) or more of rain.

Floods closed Highway 11 between Kona and Hilo, and a higher-altitude alternative, the Cane Road, was closed by flooding as well, isolating properties like the Aikane Plantation Coffee Co. outside Pahala, where owner Phil Becker said his 10-inch (25-centimeter) rain gauge overflowed in the deluge.

“We’ve got quite a lot of flood damage, the gulches are running full speed ahead and they’re overflowing the bridges, so we’re trapped down here, we can’t get in or out,” Becker said Sunday.

Becker said his plantation is off the grid, powered with batteries charged by solar electricity, and his family is safe, so they have no reason to evacuate. The weather may even prove beneficial: “We’ve been in a drought situation so the coffee is probably loving all this rain,” he said.

Hurricane Gilma, meanwhile, weakened to a still-major Category 3 hurricane Saturday night, but it was far east of Hawaii and forecast to weaken into a depression before it reaches the islands. Gilma was expected to remain a hurricane through Tuesday and at 11 p.m. Sunday was 1,260 miles (2,025 kilometers) east of Hilo with top winds of 100 mph (155 kph).

Shelters were opened as Hurricane Hone blew in and beach parks on the eastern side of the Big Island were closed due to dangerously high surf, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said.

Jelsema offered a vivid metaphor for the rainfall: “As the rain gets pushed up the mountain terrain it wrings it out, kind of like wringing out a wet towel,” he said.

“It’s been really soaking those areas, there’s been flooding of roads. Roads have been cut off by high flood waters there in the windward sections of the big island, and really that’s the only portion of the state that’s had much flooding concern at this point,” he said.

Hone, whose name is Hawaiian for “sweet and soft,” poked at memories still fresh of last year's deadly blazes on Maui, which were fueled by hurricane-force winds. Red flag alerts are issued when warm temperatures, very low humidity and stronger winds combine to raise fire dangers. Most of the archipelago is already abnormally dry or in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Aug. 8, 2023, blaze that torched the historic town of Lahaina was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, with 102 dead. Dry, overgrown grasses and drought helped spread the fire.

Calvin Endo, a Waianae Coast neighborhood board member who lives in Makaha, a leeward Oahu neighborhood prone to wildfires, has worried for years about dry brush on private property behind his home. He's taken matters into his own hands by clearing the brush himself, but he's concerned about nearby homes abutting overgrown vegetation.

“All you need is fire and wind and we’ll have another Lahaina,” Endo said as the storm approached. “I notice the wind started to kick up already."

The cause of the Lahaina blaze is still under investigation, but it’s possible it was ignited by bare electrical wire and leaning power poles toppled by the strong winds. The state’s two power companies, Hawaiian Electric and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, were prepared to shut off power if necessary to reduce the chance that live, damaged power lines could start fires, but they later said the safety measures would not be necessary as Hone blew past the islands.

Roth said a small blaze that started Friday night in Waikoloa, on the dry side of the Big Island, was brought under control without injuries or damage.

Walker reported from New York.

This Aug. 25, 2024 satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Hone passing south of Hawaii. (NOAA via AP)

This image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Hone as it continues to track to the west toward the Hawaiian Islands, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)