With the current IDF Chief placing a high priority on integrating women into combat units, the military is becoming a more complex option for religious Jews wishing to serve.
As Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatens to remove Yeshivat Bnei David’s certification as the premier mechina program, MK (Bayit Yehudi) Betzalel Smotrich publishes a column in the told the weekly BaSheva newspaper entitled “Saving the IDF – Don’t Enlist”. His column is coming under harsh criticism by many prominent figures in the dati leumi community including Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennet but Smotrich advises that mechina and yeshiva talmidim should simply hold off entering the military for a number of months.
Smotrich adds that the military requires both “quiet and manpower”, stating the dati leumi community can make a ruckus no less than others. He is certain that if the yeshivos and mechina yeshivot keep their talmidim back to miss one induction date, the IDF decision-makers will have to begin contemplating what is more important to the military, the integration of women or the mechina talmidim.
Bennet, in his response states “No segment of the population has the privilege to teach the IDF how to act”. He opposes the plan, loyal to the IDF above all.
In a tweeted message Bennet added “we are the IDF and we do not threaten ourselves. No group, certainly not the dati leumi, have the right to teach the IDF how to act and certainly not how to refuse or delay induction”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Bennet should get a tune up. Is he dati or not, time to decide. Let everybody remember this when he’s up for elections.
The Religious-Zionist camp must ask itself a basic question: Which set of values does it value more, those of Hashem’s Torah or those of secular Nationalism? Are they a religious movement that also believes in Zionism, or a Nationalistic movement that puts Judaism in second place?
We are coming to a time where one cannot be dancing on two weddings at the same time, it’s either or!!!
Come election, the Dati camp needs to decide where they stand, with Torah and the people who keep it or with the Zionist and the IDF?
This kind of sad ‘split in personality’ is one of the hallmarks of Dati-Leumi-ism since its inception. A corollary question one could ask is why are Dati-Leumi news items important enough to appear in a Chareidi Yeshiva website altogether? By contrast, have a look at a few Dati Leumi websites to see if (and in what manner!) they report Chareidi news, or anything to do with the Chareidi tzibbur.
Excellent plan.
Mr. Bennet need to be reminded that in a free society no public person or institution is above criticism, especially the military. There is a term that describes the elevation of the military above criticism and gives it an almost divine status. It is called militarism. Militarism is one of the pillars of fascism. Another being the concept that everyone must serve the State. The State is presented as some sort of ethereal concept but in fact means enslavement to a few thousand privileged aristocrats. They are above the law and tolerate no criticism or independence. If all of this sounds familiar, welcome to Israel. The only deMocracy in the Middle east.
I would offer that while Halacha is obviously #1, the reality is the bulk of the IDF is not made up of religious units.
What Halachic Yiddden need to do, until the IDF Brass comes to their senses, is to only sign up for the Frum units. We now have 3, Nachal, Tomer and the new unit in the Paratroopers.
The rest of the Army commanders will find the best talent is not coming to their units and then things will change.
With respect to the Rav and MK Smotrich, this approach is perfectly legal, valid and accomplishes the same goal.
the DL community might be finally waking up to the reality of the Zionists goals from day 1 which is to take Yidden as far away from Torah as possible neo-Hellenism.
The military brass sees a growing number of DL officers, currently about 40%, and they are scared. Furthermore, with more Charaidim jointing, albeit still small numbers, they realize that in a while, their cultural incubation/indoctrination chamber (the IDF) will go from secular to more religious.
These forced anti-religious rules are to get rid of the religious.