 |
| Charedi Keneset members addressing the media (Arutz Sheva) |
I have always felt that this exemption gives them an unfair advantage at life itself. There is no other group that is given a wholesale exemption like that. Young people in Israel are called upon to risk their lives to defend their country. Most of them do so willingly. And some of them die or suffer serious injury in battle.
Charedim don’t have to worry about that. All they have to do is sit in a Beis Hamedrash and let ‘the other guy’ die for them. I cannot tell you how much this fact enrages me. Especially when there is so much disdain for the military itself by the Charedi leadership. They paint the army as nothing more that a social experiment designed to create a prototype Israeli disabused of his religious beliefs and practices - replaced with an image of strength and virility. They constantly accuse the military of having that as its real goal.
That is pure unadulterated nonsense. The facts belie that accusation. The purpose of the army is to protect its citizens and to know how to kill people and break things (...to quote former Secretary of State and Army Chief of Staff, Colin Powell).
That’s why religious Zionist rabbinic leaders consider it one’s duty to serve. And that’s why the Hesder Program exists. A program that enables young observant religious Zionists to serve in the military and study in Yeshivas alternately (for a period of six years if I understand correctly). Hesder boys are known to be among the bravest combat soldiers in the IDF!
Now it might be true that Israel’s founder wanted the 'new Israeli' to be abandon the old ghetto stereotype that adhered to 'ancient and archaic' rituals and become secular. It might even be true that some of that still exists. But that is clearly not the IDF’s primary purpose any more - if it ever was. If It were there have would be no such thing as Charedi units specifically created for Charedim. Which that not only allows them to be observant, but allows them to maintain all Charedi Chumros and customs as well. The government has even allowed them to choose national service and actually avoid the dangers of combat.
Nevertheless, much of the the Charedi world has not abandoned their claims of an army designed to destroy observance. The Charedi political parties therefore fight army service based as much on that as thye do on their desire to keep their people learning Torah full time. Although there are differences between Charedi factions how to go about that, they all agree that Charedim should not be forced to serve.
I know all the Charedi counter arguments. The government doesn’t need Charedim to serve. There are enough people already there that can do the job quite nicely. Some even claim that the IDF doesn’t want Charedim to serve. They are not worth the trouble.
In the meantime, Israel’s Supreme Court has struck down several Keneset laws that were attempts at providing exemptions for Yeshiva students calling them unconstitutional (whatever that means in a country with no constitution, But I digress). That means the Kenesset has to come up with new legislation that would satisfy the court’s ruling.
This is where things stand now. Arutz Sheva reports that there has been some softening in the Charedi demands for exemption:
The United Torah Judaism faction has offered a compromise on what is widely expected to be one of the most difficult issues facing the 35th Government of Israel – passage of a new draft law governing exemptions for yeshiva students.
Under the arrangement put forward by the UTJ... the haredi faction would accept the draft of a bill proposed by Yisrael Beytenu in the previous government – with the addition of a new article.
The bill drawn up by a committee of security officials at Yisrael Beytenu chief and then-Defense Minister Avidgor Liberman had largely protected the draft deferment program for yeshiva students, but included sanctions on yeshivas for failing to meet draft quotas, and included a clause nullifying the law if the haredi community as a whole failed to meet draft quotas for an extended period of time.
According to the report, the UTJ party is willing to accept the bill, provided it be modified to include a provision declaring that any individual yeshiva student who wishes to study Torah will be permitted to do so.
While this is an improvement over the intransigent position of the past, I’m not sure it will help much since if a Charedi Yeshiva student wants to get out of it – all he has to do is say he wants to keep doing what he has been doing.
Be that as it may, it does not solve my issue. I cannot get past the idea that there is an entire group of people that rely on others to spill their blood for them while they do not need to shed a drop of theirs. I keep picturing the secular or religious Zionist mother in tears at the funeral of her fallen son who died in battle - looking through bitter tears in envy at the lucky Charedi mother who will never have to go though that.
I have always maintained that the best way to solve this problem is for Israel to abolish the draft. The old argument that Israel needs all of its people to serve in order to survive is no longer true. Israel is now a super power. They are widely acknowledged as having one of the best armies in the world. Furthermore (if I understand correctly) many young Israelis actually prefer combat missions and sign up for them enthusiastically when they are drafted. I believe there are more than enough volunteers like that to satisfy the IDF’s needs.
I really believe an all volunteer army can work. Just like it does with the most powerful nation on earth. That would allow Yeshiva students and any others who do not wish to serve for whatever reason – to be free of any army service. The government may need ancillary servicemen to fill non combat jobs. But those jobs can be filled by the civilian population if not enough join the army voluntarily. This would be a win/win for all.
With this, I wish all of my readers an enjoyable and happy rest of Pesach. Chag Sameach