MK (The Movement) Elazar Stern remains tenacious in his efforts to deliver a fatal blow against the nation’s hesder yeshivot. Readers are reminded that in his previous career, as IDF Chief of Personnel Branch, Stern worked hard to make life difficult for hesder, albeit with limited success. His calls to “shut hesder down” were audible during his service as a senior IDF officer, not limited to his tenure as a MK. Now, as a member of Knesset, he uses his new position to advance his anti-hesder agenda.
According to a report appearing in Maariv, Stern has turned to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein with allegations against hesder roshei yeshiva. He claims the regularly work to influence the talmidim politically even though the talmidim are members of the IDF while hesder talmidim.
Many of the hesder talmidim are indeed classified as “Shalat – unpaid in IDF service” (של”ת – בשרות ללא תשלום). Hesder talmidim commit to 60 months, five years. For the first year they are regular talmidei yeshiva. In their second year they enter the military for 16 months of service. Following the active service period, for the duration of the 60 months, they are classified as ‘Shalat’ and receive a special IDF ID card which permits changing their status for active service on a moment’s notice.
In his letter to Weinstein, Stern writes “Many hesder talmidim are Shalat soldiers, which begins from their second year in yeshiva following their return from the IDF until completion of their fifth year in yeshiva. According to IDF regulations, a soldier may not be involved in any political activity during his period of service and commanders are prohibited from discussing anything of a political nature with subordinates”.
He adds roshei yeshiva are responsible for their talmidim and they do pass on political viewpoints and seek to influence the talmidim towards their point of view. Stern requests an in-depth probe into this reality, which he states “has me greatly troubled”.
The response from the Hesder Yeshiva Union:
To our sorrow, MK stern constantly tries to harm hesder yeshivot and the students with an aim to destroy the Zionist enterprise which has contributed to the state in all areas for the past 50 years. The roshei yeshiva are private citizens with rights to express an opinion and they enjoy freedom of expression, an academic freedom. Generally speaking the yeshivos are careful not to use the framework for political activities.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
this leftists are communists,
did you ever here them complain about all the universities and public school systems that are completely political brainwashing students with anti Jewish and anti israeli crap!
Close down those institutions!