“I will not be a part of sending Jews to jail for limud Torah” stated Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in a response to Shomron Regional Council head Gershon Mesika. The prime minister’s statement came amid heated discussions surrounding the matter of criminal sanctions against bnei Torah in the new chareidi draft law is high on the national agenda.
The Shaked Committee completing the chareidi draft law is divided, as Bayit Yehudi is opposed to imprisoning chareidim for non-compliance while Yesh Atid, The Movement and Labor favor the move. The parties explain that equality demands one law for all and just as a non-chareidi is jailed for avoiding the draft, the same must be true for chareidim.
Making things worse for chareidim is the fact that most do not trust Bayit Yehudi on the matter, fearing that if it is a matter of Yesh Atid threatening to topple the coalition, Naftali Bennett will vote in favor of the criminal sanctions against chareidim. Shaked has signaled this is not so, but her statements contradict numerous reports over recent days that the matter of criminal sanctions has already been agreed to.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
If something is law, even if today they choose not to enforce it, tomorrow they rightfully can do so w/o scrutiny.
This law is an outright attack on the Torah community! It is outright discrimination as well being that it is favoring one citizen’s views over the next. If someone will argue that we go after the majority and the majority holds that “ALL” citizens must share the burden of military service, then I ask him, “if so, why are the ISRAELI ARABS still going to be EXEMPT under the new law?! If they are citizens they MUST also SHARE THE BURDEN!”
If one would (off the record of course being that you could NEVER admit this officially) argue that we can’t enlist the Arabs into the army because that would be a security threat, I’ll ask you, “what country anywhere in the world gives citizenship to someone that they feel is a national security threat?! Why then do the Arabs have legal citizenship!! EITHER ARMY SERVICE FOR THEM OR REVOKE THEIR CITIZENSHIP!!!”
TO ALL SECULAR ISRAELIS – STOP BEING TWO FACED!!!!!!!!!!
Softwords thank you for comparing the herideim to Arabs, I thought you guys where better than arabs, I guess not. The druze I see are better than the herdeim. Are you michalel shabbos why not the Arabs are?
they will be jailed for not going to the Army not for learning Torah. They can learn Torah before enlistment, during enlistment, and after.
Israeli Chareidim should not have less legal rights visi-a-vis the draft than Israeli Arab citizens of Israel.
If Israeli Arab citizens of Israel will be provided an exemption from the Israeli military draft, so must Chareidi Israeli citizens of Israel.
peakboy #2: Among many other ills, going into the Army at the very least REDUCES the amount of time available for Limud Torah. And EVERY MOMENT of Torah is far far better than anything else and EVERY MOMENT of Limud Torah is the best defense, far more than wearing an army uniform provides, for Klal Yisroel.
@peakman
Why don’t you reread his comment.
Coming across strongly just makes you look more illiterate and maybe ignorant.
But not throwing people in jail will render the consciption law ineffective The only people who might be affected are anti-zionist hareidi Baal ha-Battim, and then only if the government “cracks” down on exempt persons who aren’t learning full time (but since those are conscientious objectors by any standard, arresting them is especially problematic). The new policies will hurt pro-zionist yeshiva students, which isn’t really in the government’s interest.
It will also force a new coalition with Lapid.
P.S. My prediction that in the end of the debate, Israel will end up with a professional army and no conscription – which will lead to an economic boom since it will facilitate hareidim taking part in the general economy, both as consumer and producers.
isnt there some sort of sheirut leumi the chareidim can contribute to in the proper torah environment this seems like such a simple solution.
They are already sitting in jail, or have been. I dont understand!
dear number 2: i think we all understand that the years 18 19 20 of a boy are the most importent learning years of his life even the dati leumi yeshivas (har hamor ect.) go at age 26 27 ,nachal chraidi is not the shtarkest place in the world even if they give them 2 hours to learn you have to understand that there are boys using here phones and smoking on sabbos and other things.
dear num 7: there are two points too answer your comment
first there are those who feel it is giving in to do sheirut leumi but regardless assuming you apriciate torah, do you understand what it means for a bachur who learns between 10 to 14 hours a day to start taking off 5 hours three times a week?
beshvu tov utzipiyah leyeshua
Thinking brain
The army is a shmad intended to be a melting pot to turn Torah Jews into chilonim.
And they do a pretty decent job accomplishing just that.