The divisiveness doesn’t end there. Even the Charedim
themselves can’t seem to unify under a single political party. There are now
three separate Charedi factions in the Knesset - each with its own agenda.
However, the one issue that all Charedi parties seem to
agree on is their iron-willed resistance to any form of military service. They
are demanding that the Netanyahu government pass a law that would permanently
exempt all Charedim from serving in the military. As they have done many times
in the past, they are once again threatening to bring down the government if
their demands are not met.
So far, they haven’t gotten what they want. In fact, the
following was recently reported in Arutz Sheva:
The IDF has initiated an operation targeting individuals who failed to respond to draft notices. Military police have begun locating and detaining dozens of draft dodgers across the country, the army confirmed on Tuesday. The IDF stated that the operation is not only about enforcing enlistment but also about sending a strong message: draft evasion will carry real consequences. “A potential recruit who does not report for induction in accordance with the instructions of the summons he received is liable to face disciplinary or criminal sanctions,” the army said in a statement.
This development has been met with condemnation from Charedi
parties, once again accompanied by threats to leave the government. As Aryeh
Deri of Shas stated:
“The moment, God forbid, that even one incident occurs in which the military police enter a yeshiva or a house and arrest even one yeshiva student, at that moment, no matter the circumstances, Shas will not be able to remain in the government.”
Netanyahu, who desperately wants to stay in power and needs the Charedi parties to remain in the coalition in order to maintain minimum number of seats required, has
promised to pass legislation that would grant the Charedi parties exactly what
they want - full exemption from military service. So far, he has been unable to
deliver. And now it appears the IDF may finally begin enforcing the existing
law and holding violators accountable.
Whether the IDF will follow through remains to be seen. And
if they do, it’s still uncertain whether the Charedi parties will carry out
their threat to bring down the government. But if that scenario does play out,
the implications for the entire country are significant.
My position on Charedi army service is well known. To put it
briefly: I do not believe Charedim should be granted a blanket exemption. While
I do believe exemptions should exist for some (how many can be worked out in
negotiation), there are plenty who should be required to serve—just like every
other segment of the population.
The reason I oppose blanket exemptions is the simple
injustice of a system where an entire (very large and growing) segment is
excused from the sacrifices and risks that the rest of the country is subject
to. The unfairness of that should be obvious to anyone with a conscience.
I have to believe that deep down, Charedim know this. And
yet they continue with their lives during a war as though nothing is happening.
Their leadership, meanwhile, remains firm in their ideological opposition. An
opposition that apparently supersedes any guilt they might otherwise feel about
letting others do the suffering on their behalf.
What kind of ideology allows such a situation to persist?
They claim they do not want their religious standards compromised by the
culture of a secular army. I would put it another way: They cherish their Frumkeit.
They want to preserve their Chumra-laden lifestyle and believe it is their
religious obligation to do so. Even if others must do the dying for them. That
there are other observant Jews who serve in the army doesn’t matter to them,
because Charedim require a far stricter standard than those other religious and
the IDF can’t provide that for them.
So strong is their conviction that they are willing to
sacrifice their political power over it.
If that happens, the government will fall, and new elections
will be called. Almost certainly, the Charedim will not be part of the next
coalition government. One that is likely to have far more hostility toward them
than the current government.
And if Charedim are upset now over the arrest of draft
dodgers, well—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
This is not good.
No matter how justified one feels in opposing the Charedi
refusal to serve, it won’t matter to them. They have their own sense of
injustice. Massive protests will block traffic. Ambulances will be delayed - costing
lives and worsening illness. Burning dumpsters will create health hazards in
affected neighborhoods. Clashes between Charedi protesters and police will
escalate. Blood will be drawn.
There will also be more Charedim in prison than ever before.
In the U.S., Charedi communities will hold massive rallies and prayer vigils in
support of their Israeli brethren. Israel will grind to a halt, while the world
watches ultra-Orthodox Jews behave like gangs of hooligans determined to bring
their government to its knees. And they just might succeed.
All of this could be avoided with a little common sense and goodwill. But I fear that the leadership of the Charedi world has lost any semblance of
common sense, believing instead that they are fighting God’s war.
And it seems there is nothing anyone can do about it. Where this will all lead - God only knows.