Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi on motzei Shabbos joined those signing a petition demanding that everyone serve in the IDF, stating the current situation is simply unacceptable, from a social and defense point of view. He explained that one who is unable to serve in the IDF for one reason or another must fill his responsibility by joining a national service program.
Ashkenazi visited the Jerusalem “Suckers Tent” set up in the park near the Knesset, an effort which is gaining support and momentum as elected, public and religious officials join the petition.
This latest effort to compel all citizens of Israel to ‘serve’ comes during the interim period during which chareidi MKs and askanim are working to find a solution before the deadline of August 1, 2012, at which time chareidim will be compelled to serve in the IDF as per the High Court of Justice’s ruling.
Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz also visited, calling for legislation that will compel all sectors of society to take an equal share of the defense burden.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Let’s require the hilonim to take off several years from their lives to learn Torah. Perhaps have a rule that unless someone attains a certain level of learning, they will be banned from meaningful employment and limited to work in the “grey” economy.
When the revolution comes, Gabi will be amongst those first lined up against a wall… so that we can sing at him for purposes of National Defence. Conscientious objections such as ones ears melting due to the terrible singing quality will of course resullt in disciplinary action.
Woe to anyone who would entrap the students of Gemara to live the life of Gemorrah.
Akuperma, if it were UK or US, you would the same way feif on the government and the general public?
you guys realize you have not responded to what he is saying, he is saying everyone should share the burden. Be civil and respond to his statement instead of coming up with sarcastic remarks
mdd: The United States and the United Kingdom survive based on the strength of their economic and military power. Klal Yisrael survives based on Torah and Mitsvos. Jewish communities who try to base their survival on “this world” standards, have consistently died found themselves consigned to the “dustbin” of history, such as the secular Jews of Germany, or the Hellenic Jews of Alexandria.
If you believe that the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael is surviving in the zchus of the IDF, you are truely relying on a Nes.
He’s right — of course everyone should share in the defense burden. The only problem is that he ignores the most vital part of the nation’s defense: people who sit all day and learn Torah. אם ה׳ לא ישמר עיר שוא שקד שומר.
Imagine if someone would make such a statement as his, and when asked whom he specifically meant he would refer to those lazy people who, instead of doing their bit to defend the country, spend all day sitting in an IDF office doing incomprehensible things they call “logistics”, or “accounting”, or “computer programming”! Everyone would laugh at him and ask how he does not know that these are vital parts of the defense system, without which the combat soldiers would be worthless. Ashkenazi looks just as foolish when he ignores the contribution the Torah learners make to the nation’s defense.
Meanwhile the female singers and other inappropriate entertainers, whom Ashkenazi no doubt regards as doing their bit and more for the nation’s defense, are actually damaging it and helping the enemy! והיה מחניך קדוש, ולא יראה בך ערות דבר ושב מאחריך. So if he’s really concerned with everybody sharing in the common defense burden he should turn his attention to these people and send them to do something constructive.