IDF military police have arrested a married chareidi woman, a member of the Chabad community. The woman, ‘D’, 20, who was married a month ago, was placed in Prison 4 on Monday, 9 Elul 5772 after it was determined that she had not served in the military.
The woman and her husband are planning to travel to Crown Heights for Rosh Hashanah, wishing to spend yomtov in 770. She already obtained a visa from the American Embassy and she wished to find out if there is a problem with her trying to leave the country.
When she was younger, draft age, she neglected to take care of the paperwork, to declare she is frum. As a result, she is listed as AWOL from the IDF. Now that she is married and wishes to leave the country she wanted to make certain she is not barred from leaving as a result of not addressing her IDF status. It is not uncommon for authorities to prevent one from leaving the country if one is AWOL from the military.
‘D’ was confident that the matter was just one of paperwork as today; she is 20 and married so the issue of IDF service is not relevant. Military police had a different view and she was imprisoned immediately. As of Tuesday night, the eve of 11 Elul she was still in military prison. ‘D’ is on a hunger strike.
‘D’ was brought before a military judge who ordered she remain in prison until Thursday, 12 Elul, at which time her case would be reevaluated.
Kiryat Malachi Deputy Mayor R’ Chaim Steiner, who is working to have the young woman released, explains she neglected to take care of the IDF matter when she should of and they decided to lock her up now as a result. “They wanted to remand her for two weeks but I managed to prevent his” he explained.
According to a Chabad Online report, MKs Uri Maklev (Yahadut HaTorah) and Dr. Michael Ben-Ari (Ichud HaLeumi) sent a strongly worded letter to Defense Minister Ehud Barak citing the outrage of arresting a married chareidi woman, the total disregard for the most minimum standards of tznius.
The MKs explain that when she was younger she did not take care of businesses but now she came to do just that. Instead of dealing with the situation she was arrested and imprisoned without having an opportunity to explain.
“To the best of our understanding, and with the criticism we have on ‘D’, what was done is unacceptable. It is hard to be persuaded as to what exactly was the urgency to imprison her when it is realized she cam voluntarily to put affairs in order. Wouldn’t it have been sufficient to summon her for a hearing? “The arrest of a married chareidi woman is perceived by the public as seriously compromising accepted norms of modesty. We turn to you and ask for your intervention towards her immediate release. There can be no doubt that she will present herself at whatever legal proceeding takes place. There the arguments can be heard and if there is a punishment, it must be one that does not compromise the norms of modesty” the MKs wrote.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
No compassion from me here. It’s completely her own fault. The fact that she is a married frum woman doesn’t and shouldn’t have any influence on the decision to lock her up for the meantime.
Had she followed the proper procedure, it would not have happened. She knew the consequences of not following the proper procedure at the proper time. (Anyone with a normal brain and common sense knows what will happen if they do not obtain an exemption.)
The only one to blame here is the woman herself, and nobody else.
I understand she went to sort out her status and it seems harsh to have imprisoned her but I do not understand why “The arrest of a married chareidi woman is perceived by the public as seriously compromising accepted norms of modesty.” She was in breach of the law and the military police decided to bring the full force of the law down against her. No doubt she is in a women’s section of the gaol. Why is that compromising accepted norms of modesty? Is there a rule that women are never to be sent to prison?
The IDF is supposed to be known for its ability to adapt to new and changing situations on the battle field. That may be true. But, from this story we find the IDF acting in a rigid manner without evaluating the situation and demonstrating flexibility in its decision making process.
The editor would like the readers to consider this yet another attack on Torah by the dastardly forces of Zionism. But what should they make of it when rabbanim of the highest stature are urging thousands of draft-age men to do exactly as she did — not to report to the draft board and not to sign anything?
In most countries, oppressed minorities are routinely arrested on trumped up charges that in normal democratic countries with a tradition of rule of law would not result in arrest. Let’s be honest, Torah Jews have a status in the zionist state similar to what Blacks had in the (southern) United States under Jim Crow – we are the n*ggers of Eretz Yisrael. The difference is that in America, the ruling classes forced the racists to give up (at gunpoint) – in Eretz Yisrael no one is going to come in and save us. We must rely on Ha-Shem, and whatever we can do for ourselves.
Reply to Nos 1 and 2.
Your comments are fully correct. There is some bizarre sense of entitlement among some chareidi politicians and askanim that just because they are chareidi, they are entilted to some special treatment by the courts that would not be accorded if the woman was MO or secular. These mistaken assertions of entitlement hurt the chareidi tzibur and feed the sense of anger and resentment by the general population against Chareidim.
I don’t recognize the “state of israel” they have no right to do that.
Akuperma, this woman wasn’t an “oppressed minority” that’s routinely arrested on trumped up charges. She, not the authorities, overlooked the “tradition of rule of law,” which in Israel entitles her to a lifetime exemption from military service simply by declaring herself frum. That doesn’t sound like Jim Crow, and really nothing about the status of Torah Jews in Israel resembles Jim Crow. And if Torah Jews define themselves as an oppressed minority, they’ll have to get in line because many applied for the prize first: the Tel Aviv secular, residents of Judea-Samaria, the self-employed, the manufacturers (yes, all the time!), women, the entire middle class, those aged 50+, car owners, bicycle owners, LGBT … and that’s just the Jews. Hey, I’m entitled to five oppression awards, never mind which.
“I don’t recognize the “state of israel” they have no right to do that.”
That must qualify as one of the most illogical comments ever to have been afforded the light of day here on YWN.
I quote; “she went to authorities to report that today”.
No civilized country would imprison someone who voluntary reports a bureaucratic issue.
Yup they cetainly did send a message.
It is not only Haredi deserters the Israeli Army arrests and imprisons when they dodge the draft. See: http://www.timesofisrael.com/family-of-detained-canadian-israeli-says-essentials-not-being-passed-to-her/