Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Say They Won’t Be Drafted
Ultra-Orthodox parties inside Israel’s government say they will oppose any new law that would apply Israel’s compulsory military draft to ultra-Orthodox men — a stance that bodes ill for the stability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
Last week, Israel’s Supreme Court overturned a law that has helped tens of thousands of religious men avoid military service and pursue state-sponsored religious studies instead. The privilege has created widespread resentment among Israel’s secular majority and encouraged ultra-Orthodox men to become lifelong students, reducing their large families to living off state handouts.
With a July deadline looming, Netanyahu is now racing to find a new formula acceptable to the court and his coalition.
Netanyahu has promised to replace the so-called Tal Law with legislation that would allow “a much more equal sharing of the burden.” If no new law is on the books by the time the old one expires on July 31, universal conscription will presumably go into effect.
Depending on both ultra-Orthodox and fiercely secular parties in his government, Netanyahu faces a difficult task drawing up a new system.
In a rare show of unity, rival ultra-Orthodox parties met Sunday night to join ranks against any modifications that would expose their constituents to the draft. Israeli males perform three years of compulsory military service beginning at age 18.
Ultra-Orthodox religious leaders believe their followers must spend their days studying holy texts.
“We have no existence without Torah,” the Haaretz newspaper quoted United Torah Judaism party lawmaker Moshe Gafni as saying, referring to the first five books of the Jewish bible. “We will give our lives for it.”
Although Netanyahu’s coalition partners have stopped short of threatening to bolt, the court decision has threatened to shake up the prime minister’s government by forcing him to choose sides in this enormously divisive issue.
His foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman of the secular Yisrael Beitenu Party, said Tuesday he would not agree to extend the old law. “Not by a day, and not even an hour,” said Lieberman, a critic of the religious exemptions.
While Israel’s secular public has welcomed the prospect of ending the draft exemptions for the religious, actually conscripting them will be a difficult task.
The exemption, drawn up six decades ago to allow 400 exemplary seminary students to continue their studies, has ballooned to the point that tens of thousands of young men are now able to avoid the draft. Absorbing such a large number of conscripts, most of whom have few skills in the secular world, will be a challenge for the military.
Yohanan Plesner, a lawmaker who has chaired a subcommittee studying the matter, said Tuesday that the old law expires on July 31 and without new legislation, universal conscription would go into effect.
“That’s not realistic or practical,” he said. “The military is not prepared for it … A different agreement must be made,” said Plesner, a member of the opposition Kadima Party.
He vowed to prevent a new formula to allow mass draft dodging. “There should be no Tal Law Part 2,” he said.
should serve
sorry, if you dont want to serve to protect your land LEAVE. so disgusting, you wont serve your country yet you want all you stuff to be respected? gow would a soldier who served feel about that?
pure garbage~!
Milhouse
#1, What’s disgusting is your utter disregard for the Rebbe’s word. The Rebbe was very clear that those who are in full-time learning, which ought to include all young bochurim who are shayach to it, belong in the zal and not in the army. He gave the example of Dovid Hamelech, who sent Yoav to fight for him while he sat and learned Torah, and his learning was what protected the army. How do you have the chutzpah to criticise this?
PURE CHUTSPAH!
CHUTSPAH!! PURE AND SIMPLE! How much do they contribute to the economy? Do they pay taxes while they sit and study? They are a drain on Israel like the the illeagals are here probably worse.
Besides spitting on young girls can anyone explain how the ultra-Orthodox benefit Israel?
If they refuse to participate all financial aid should be stopped and they should be totally supported by the United Torah Judaism party and lawmaker Moshe Gafni.
Milhouse
#3, more chutzpah. First of all, you have a chutzpah to come to an “ultra-orthodox” site and badmouth us.
Second, go look up what the gemoro Sanhedrin 99b has to say about those who say “what good do the rabbonon do for us”. It’s not pleasant. The talmidei chachomim, those who are learning Torah full time, are the ones who sustain the country. Without them there would be no Israel and no army. And this is not something that you may accept or reject; this is something a Jew MUST believe.
Proud Mother
I sent my son to the IDF with pride. These so called full time learners could work in offices and do whatever they can to support the “Guardians of Israel” and still find time to learn. Wouldnt’t put them on the front line, they would do more harm then good but certainly should and must do their share.Probably would do them good also.I agree that they are a financial drain on Israel. Why should the government support them if they are unwilling to do their share? There are plenty of religious soldiers in the IDF.
u guys are just hatred and no brains
for all those who say “how dare you not serve your country bla bla bla”… have you served in the US army? maybe we should have compulsory draft for all 18 year olds here in the US??? oh, no? oh, so why should they???
maybe every person in the US who is on medicade should also be forced to send their kids to the front line? no?
not even mentioning the spiritual danger and damage of such a move as well as the physical ramifications of that.
to all..
like the 770 stfatti terrorist? let them serve instead of coming here and causing trouble
They shoud be ashamed
Keep drinking Milhouse maybe the higher you get the more you will believe what you are saying.
The only thing they “sustain” is the Israeli welfare doles.
When thw arabs come to kill Israelies maybe they can scare them away with their books. If woman can be drafted and serve they should be ashamed of themselves.
to #6
big dif. between israel and america smarty pants. israel EVERYONE serves ie the draft, in america you serve if YOU WANT TO….
get it right
wha-?
when did chabad become so much filled zionist apikorsus? helo? anyone home? chabad is historically anti-zionist to the core.
שיק זי
I don’t know about all of the Israeli charedim, nut they should definitely draft all of Tzfatim – they already demonstrated their eagerness to fight
you#6
the bodily harms? so because your religious its ok to let the non religious protect your rights but you cant bring yourself to do the same??!!
kfir97
hahha i served nachal charedi and served with some of these soldiers in the picture.
anyway if the law is you have to serve then you have to serve, and if you still prefer to learn the country shouldnt have to support you, while you spit on girls and throw rocks at people who spend nights awake protecting you.
and as someone who did serve i was and still am disgusted by the people who contribute nothing, as of matter fact the day after completing training i was walking in meah shearim in uniform with another foreign volunteer, and we were called nazis.
thank you chareidim, i heard the yeshiva in gaza is looking to recruit some chasidishe ochurim
Milhouse
#8, if you’re an open apikores then what are you doing on this site? Go look up the gemoro I cited; I even gave you the daf and omud. And go find out the Rebbe’s opinion on this, which is unequivocal. The same applies to #5, #9, #12 and #13; this is a religious web site, and specifically a lubavitcher one, and it’s shocking to see how little you care about the gemoroh’s opinion or the Rebbe’s.
Also Parentts
Watch the Fearless and the Faithful and you will see the Rebbe’s love and concern for the dedicated young men who serve whether drafted or the Lone Soldiers who leave their familes to guard Israel. My son returned safely because of the Rebbe’s brocha. Many of these young men return to yeshiva after their service and are a shining star and an example to all.Even the ones who don’t learn full time show an example of patience, dedication and strength that many of our bochurim could use. Ever wonder why so many Lubavitchers in IDF?
Milhouse
#15, What has that got to do with the subject? Those who are shayach to learning full time have no business in the army, and the Rebbe was very very clear on this. Chayolei Beis Dovid are to sit and learn and do nothing else. Unlike other yeshivos they do not take time off from learning to campaign at election time, and they do not take time off for other important purposes, because their job is to learn Torah. That is what they do for the defense of the country. If someone is not shayach to that, then ein hochi nami he should go to the army. (Provided that he has the necessary strength to keep his yiddishkeit in an atmosphere that is becoming increasingly hostile to observance, e.g. the recent incidents of soldiers being forced to listen to kol isho, etc.)