Among the rabbonim who addressed the emergency kenos hosted in Bnei Brak, headed by HaGaon HaRav Aryeh Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita was HaGaon HaRav Yigal Rosen.
“We know how to get hundreds of thousands out into the streets of the city” stated the rav, who explained he was explaining the gadol hador’s position on ongoing efforts to draft bnei Torah into the IDF or national service. Rav Rosen followed the address from Rav Shteinman. He was also briefed by the gadol hador prior to the kenos, which was attended by over 100 rabbonim and roshei yeshivos as well as the rabbonim shlita of the Degel Hatorah Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael.
The Rosen began to explain the hashkafa of R’ Shteinman and he stressed repeatedly “there will be no compromise, not on a single talmid or avreich. The rav added there has been fear in the air during the past 18 months, since the disqualification of the Tal Law “and we have become accustomed to this” he explained. He cited the tremendous Siyata Dishmaya during this period, adding 1,200 talmidim were scheduled to begin military service today and they were pushed off for four months. He stated that R’ Shteinman feels that if there are no other alternatives then the tzibur will be ordered to take to the streets.
“If chas v’sholom there is no alternative as a last resort we can fill the streets. We know how to do this. We hope we will not have to resort to this but if need be, Maran the Rosh Yeshiva has stated it will be.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
12 Responses
What are instructions & path for NON-Learning bochurim? When will that be announced? Have new brigades been started up yet?
This is an essential question which NEVER seems to be addressed, WHY???
Better a few hundred of them be good soldiers
Demonstrations are nice, but the politics that large numbers allow are more important.
A more effective plan is to find allies who might help them. One demand might be to end conscription and switch Israel to a professional army (as is done in almost all western countries). Another possibility would be to ask for an army exemption based on “religious or moral” grounds which would attract much left-wing and Arab support, but wouldn’t help those yeshivot that are pro-zionist. It is important to note that many hilonim are less interested in drafting hareidim, and more concerned with not have to subsidize yeshiva students (and especially those who don’t serve in the army), and many secular Israelis are uncomfortable with the idea of throwing a large number of people in jail for disagreeing with government policy (Israel may a thrid world country, but they aspire to be considered a western democracy – and democracies don’t lock up people who oppose the state).
Most frum Jews would be happiest if Likud and Bayit Yehudi would be the partner to prevent conscription, and those parties might be anxious to dump their current coalition partners (who are more dove-ish and strongly pro-gay). However if that doesn’t work, the left wing parties might not mind ending conscription (left wing Jews, and almost all Arabs, dislike conscription), in return for hareidi support on other issues (such as withdrawal from the West Bank). If all else fails, hareidim can try to ally with the Palestinians in supporting a one state solution – this is less likely but the threat of it may motivate the other solutions.
“If necessary”? “As a last resort”? Don’t you think they should have been shutting down the country months ago? There are more people protesting female prayer groups at the kosel than yeshiva boys being drafted!
Non of this would have happened ,had ALL THE FRUM PARTIES HAD ACHDUS .All the frum parties in Israel would have had between 23 to 26 seats in the keneset .That would have giving them a BIG SAY in everything.Because we DO NOT HAVE ACHDUS ,we are paying the price .May HASHEM HAVE RACHAMEM ON US.
“hareidim can try to ally with the Palestinians in supporting a one state solution – this is less likely but the threat of it may motivate the other solutions”
This is a NO-brainer and as unlikely as snow in the equator. Perhaps the Likud + BY strength can MODIFY the draft law and keep a Peace DIASTER from occurring. There is a large segment within the Charedi camp that lives in Yehuda & Shomron and an alliance with the Left-Wing for an EU or Livni peace is untenable.
#1- These are the pro-zionists who have always (until the current crisis) told yeshiva dropouts to enlist. The issues for the pro-zionist hareidim (Degel ha-Torah, Agudah and Shas) have always been accomodation of religious Jews in the IDF and preserving the yeshivos (both draft exemption and subsidies). You appear to be confusing them with the anti-zionist hareidim (Eidah hareidis)who hold the state is treff, and therefore service in the IDF is contrary to halacha regardless of one’s profession.
I’m not sure why you are asking about brigades. All yeshiva students conscripted (i.e. forced to give up learning under threat of being thrown in prison) will be unwilling, unhappy and potential disloyal jobniks. Their numbers be be joined by those currently volunteering for combat units who will not do so in the future since the conscription of yeshiva students undermines the argument that the State of Israel is supportive of Torah, and thereby undermines their will to serve in the IDF. The army will experience a net loss of soldiers available for combat, while incurring the costs of the new soldiers (this is an argument that even from a zionist perspective, conscription of hareidim is not about defending the country, but about how best to harass hareidim).
Rav Elyashiv, zatzal, in his last public statement shortly before he went into his final illness instructed that NO ONE, whether or not he’s in full-time learning, should go into any form of national service, military or civilian, and thereby put himself under the control of people who want to weaken his commitment to keeping Torah and mitzvos. As I understand it (and correct me if I’m wrong), this is one of the main points of contention between Rav Steinman, shlita, whose concern is primarily for those in full time learning (and Degel HaTorah MKs have said in Knesset hearings that those who don’t learn full time should have to serve), and Rav Shmuel Auerbach, shlita, who wants to stick strictly to Rav Elyashiv’s tzva’ah and protect all Chareidim.
“The army will experience a net loss of soldiers available for combat”
The most decorated brigade in the IDF is the combat divisions. The religious IDF draft does not effect, concern or interest them. In the combat divisions are secular, traditional and religious soldiers who are patriots and dedicated to Israel’s survival.
bklynmom : Given the choice between giving up Torah or giving up the West Bank (as the Israeli left favors) or giving up having a “sovereign” zionist state (as the Palestians favor), almost by definition Hareidim will stick with Torah and Mitsvos. Therefore your friends are ill advised to offer no option that allows them to be both frum and supporters of the zionist state. Giving up on frumkeit is a “no brainer” (as you say). Remember that all hareidim are such because they already made a conscious choice to give up most of their livlihood and to be relatively (relative to secular Jews) poor in order to be frum – this is not a group inclined to abandon Ha-Shem because you threaten them.
Why is there a need to protest? I thought Torah will protect you.
10. “because you threaten them”—-Got lost in your thought process, who is the YOU & YOUR pointing to?