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The so-called “Yerushalmi branch”, the Bnei Torah party, which is the split off from Degel Hatorah has stepped up its campaign against efforts to draft chareidim. Protests have been taking place all week, since the arrest of four talmidim from Ponevezh Yeshiva. The talmidim taken into custody are listed as AWOL (Absent without Official Leave) from the IDF for not reporting to the induction center as instructed to do.
In the latest round of defiance, a vehicular convoy bearing signs “The draft law = gezeiros shmad” and similar signs. The vehicles tied up traffic between Jerusalem and Latrun on Wednesday, Tu B’Shevat. Among those taking part was Jerusalem Deputy Mayor (Bnei Torah) Chaim Epstein, who drove his own vehicle.
The Bnei Torah party headed by HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita instructs talmidim not to cooperate with IDF authorities in any fashion and not to report to induction centers for any reason. Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita on the other hand has instructed talmidim to report to induction centers for the first appointment only, and to only complete forms pertaining to personal information only, such as name and address.
In response to the vehicular convoy, the Yesh Atid party has stepped up its campaign in favor of the draft, calling on voters to remember the vehicular convoy and the traffic jams when they cast their ballot on Election Day.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Sitting and learning is a bigger zechus to have this boy freed from jail. Not this “car parade” nonsense.
100 percent bittul torah.
Protesting is one thing, but this is just silly.
So after 18 years of charadi education a religious boy can not go out into the world and hold his own against the seculars?
What does this say about charadi education? Pretty sad! They should up their level of studies to educate them to deal with the world!
I agree with their sentiments but they are losing me by littering the streets with their leaflets.
What about safety? These posters/leaflets appear to be covering up windows, impairing one’s ability to see properly while driving. Simply not smart.
I am not on the same level as any of the chachomim involved, but it seems as though certain parties want to be against the state of Israel and all that it stands for and are going to put up signs proclaiming as such yet demand that they also get all of the handouts from the government that they so despise. Torah learning must have its place! But for a person to claim that he is learning and is going to get up at 10:00 and have a three hour lunch and so on, can you blame any non religious person for being upset and wanting to draft the chareidim?
I saw a few protesters from Kiryat Sefer. They were not blocking traffic, and were demonstrating nicely and peacefully on the side of the road.
While my rabbanim don’t agree with theirs, I understand their commitment. Even living here and being fairly up to speed with the news however, I had no idea what they were protesting other than “the army”. Next time I think they need to use PR more effectively so people understand what they are protesting.