Deputy Prime Minister/Interior Minister Eli Yishai who heads the Shas party spoke with Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet on Tuesday morning, 13 Tammuz 5772. Yishai explained his personal involvement in the formation of Netzach Yehuda (Nachal Chareidi), adding he personally completed three years of military service and has grown tired of hearing how “the chareidim don’t share in the burden”.

Yishai stated that he worked hand in hand with Brigadier-General (reserves) Yehuda Duvdevani, the officer who established Nachal Chareidi, and as such he is in the loop and is well aware of the realities surrounding the controversial issue of the chareidi draft. Yishai stated the problem was not the Tal Law, but the lack of budget and the establishment’s disdain for the chareidim. “They don’t want chareidim in national service or the IDF and that is the plain truth”. Yishai explained that “if anyone would have stated a decade ago that there are over 10,000 chareidim in the academic arena in Israel today they would have laughed, but that is today’s reality”.

He went on to explain that more and more chareidim continue to apply for a slot in Nachal Chareidi and an approved national service, but they are not accepted. “There are thousands and tens of thousands who wish to enter these programs but they are told there is no room or there are no budgets” he exclaimed, calling on the military to open Nachal Chareidi and accept the many awaiting a slot but realize this will not happen.

Yishai added that the military must accommodate the religious lifestyle of the chareidim, as the High Court pointed out in its rulings, and the same holds true for national service. He cited how there are literally thousands upon thousands spearheading chessed and volunteer organizations nationwide, including Ichud Hatzalah and many others.

The Shas leader questions why those who are genuinely concerned about citizens “sharing the burden” do not address the Arab sector and the growing number of secular residents, the “draft dodgers from northern Tel Aviv”.

“Only the chareidim make headlines” he explained, questioning the motives of those who are spearheading the efforts compel avreichim to leave the beis medrash.

Yishai also stated that despite reports to the contrary, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu supports personal sanctions against those failing to comply with the new law. Yishai stated reports the prime minister only supports sanctions against mosdos are untrue, and he can say this from firsthand knowledge since he has met with and discussed the matter with the prime minister.

Adding to the criticism is Duvdevani, who told the daily Haaretz that from his perspective, the Plesner Committee was politically motivated and it simply intentionally mislead the public. He warns the ongoing effort to compel a change vis-à-vis the chareidi draft “will sabotage” the process that began with Nachal Chareidi and all the progress made during recent years may simply be washed away with this unwelcome process.

Haaretz quotes Duvdevani as saying “It would be a disaster for the Jewish people for the chareidim to go back into their holes because we aren’t giving them opportunities to move forward. “We must not create antagonism. Even a mouse in a trap becomes aggressive, we have to understand them.”

In his capacity as the head of the Defense Ministry’s Youth & Nachal Division in the late 1990s it was Duvdevani that launched the first platoon of Nachal Chareidi soldiers. That platoon untimely became a company and it continues growing today. (There are generally 15-20 soldiers in a platoon and 3-4 platoons to a company).

Anyone who has applied to Nachal Chareidi knows that limits have been set in place, and Yishai’s statements are accurate regarding the inability of many wishing to serve to do so, at least in the chareidi framework.

Duvdevani feels the High Court of Justice erred when declaring the Tal Law illegal. Adding to the problem is the August 1, 2012 deadline, explaining the Plesner Committee was given a bit over a month to solve “the biggest problem ever faced by Israeli society”.

Haaretz quotes Duvdevani as adding “I told the committee: At least remember not to look at this with hate in your eyes. ‘You are going to do mediation and you have start from a place of discussion and mutual respect, not criticism and the media.’ It all fell on deaf ears,” regarding the Plesner Committee.

Interestingly, Duvdevani adds that about 60% of Nachal Chareidi is chareidi and the remainder dati leumi, which he explains is due to the lack of demand. However, he adds that while Nachal Chareidi soldiers were not required to serve in the reserves, today there are 3,500 former Nachal Chareidi soldiers demanding they be included in annual reserve duty, wishing to be part of the big picture. This compelled the establishment of Nachal Chareidi’s first reserve duty battalion.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)