Addressing an Israel Bar Association event former Justice Minister Professor Daniel Friedman explained “that even the law has its limits” in comments relating to ongoing efforts to draft bnei yeshivos. Speaking to the Tel Aviv audience last week, Friedman questioned “Are we inducting people into mandatory service to clean hospitals? Are we inducting people to care for the elderly? No! Military service costs the nation an enormous amount because of the loss of manpower”.
“If we draft 60,000 people by force and send them to perform tasks for which they are ill suited and untrained, what will happen to the maintenance workers in hospitals? Those professionals will sustain a major blow. We are trying to achieve equality via an artificial mechanism that will cost a fortune. That money would be better spent for the soldiers in their mandatory service”.
Yair Lapid, who heads the Yesh Atid (There is a Future) Party believes the issue of ‘sharing the burden’ is far more complex than some make it out to be. He opted to cite an example from the Ministry of Housing, which is under Shas’ Minister Ariel Atias.
Lapid explained that in line with the Trachtenberg Commission report which was accepted by the government, the government is responsible for implementing eligibility criteria for government subsidized housing. Lapid accuses the minister of adding criteria that are simply unheard of in a sane country, such as accumulated years of marriage towards earning additional eligibility points. “What sector marries the youngest and will have the most points, it is not the ‘religious’ but the sector of Ariel Atias”. Lapid explains this is where the equality must begin.
“I understand that not every 18-year-old is heading to Golani and that all chareidim will not be drafted. So why can’t they work in geriatric and senior citizen facilities, to assist the survivors of the Holocaust, washing dishes, bringing medication to them, sitting and simply listening to their stories. This is ‘kiyum torah’ and this is what yiddishkheit discusses – life in the kehila. The State of Israel also requires chessed, gemilus chassidim”, stated Lapid.
Doron Barzilai, who heads the Israeli Bar Association called for a bold step. He feels that the nation’s infirmed and elderly should be assisted by the national and civil service programs, and this would include Jews, Arabs, chilonim and chareidim alike. He feels residents who are not serving in the IDF can assist these populations, each working with people from their tzibur, and this he feels will result in the state opening many doors to these people that to date have been closed to them.
Chabad spokesman Rabbi Menachem Brod tried explaining to participants that an 18-year-old chareidi is like a 14-year-old chiloni youth. “Even you would not agree to have your 14-year-old taken. Until the chiloni community understands the chareidi realities the chareidim will not serve”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
The Chabad spokesman has it backwards. It is the 18 year old Chilloni that has the maturity of a 14 year old Ben Torah. Also there is no such thing as a Chilloni community. We only have Jews who from either ignorance or hatred do not keep the ways of G-D’s Torah. This is not a community but a group of confused people. It is haters of G-D and His Torah like Lapid that attempt to perpetuate this ignorance and ferment hatred that stand in the way of a solution to our problems in Israel. May they all soon be forgotten from the creation.
Aryeh Zelasko
Beit Shemesh