Among the strategies being considered in the ongoing battle against the share the burden efforts, to draft bnei yeshivos, is a one million man chareidi protest in Yerushalayim to coincide with US President Barak Obama’s visit, scheduled for March 20, 2013.
Needless to say that in addition to creating an embarrassing situation for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, such an event would create an unprecedented security nightmare during such a high level diplomatic visit and all the concerns that surround the US president visiting a Mideast country.
JDN reports that askanim in touch with rabbonim shlita have put the idea forward and it is among a number of plans under consideration.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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25 Responses
How about one million men learning Torah in bes medrash instead.
The Israelis would ban it raising the possibility of a serious confrontation (which may be a “feature” not a “bug”).
It would be quite an accomplishment to get a million male protesters; the total number of votes cast for Shas and UTJ in the last election was 527,760; presumably half were by women.
dont believe the police will allow such a thing
WHAT A CHILLUL HASHEM THAT WOULD BE,CHAS VE’SHOLM!!!
Whatever your opinion may be on the issues at hand, one must admit that this strategy does seem like one that will lead to nowhere.
It really reminds me of a child who declares that they will scream and shout until they get their way.
One Million Man Protest? C’mon Chareidim, you can do better. I propose a 10 million man protest, as well as a 10 million woman protest planned for Michelle Obama’s visit.
Worse than the IDF. The IDF isn’t asking one million chareidim to close their gemorrahs. What bitul Torah.
let the do it and show the world that even in a Jewish state they are not willing to be part of society to share the burden .
people will then know that is the case even more so in other countries something in reality they already know
“an unprecendentant security nightmare”
and hence the need for more soldiers
If it includes women and children, a million isn’t impossible, but a few hundred thousand is more likely. It would be a tremendous kiddush ha-Shem to make a strong public statement in favor of Torah and Mitsvos and show the world there is more to Eretz Yisrael that the sordid things one sees in Tel Aviv. Obama’s core constituencies include many who tend to oppose anything military, but also includes non-Orthodox Jews who opposes anying frum.
The Israeli government would probably ban the demonstration and back up its ban with force.
Ahh, so there IS an issue that makes it mutar to empty the Yeshivos. And what might they be protesting? That Obama might pressure Israel to give up more land that these bochurim won’t lift a finger to defend? So the real issue is, “We are ready to defend Israel’s right to all the land currently under its jurisdiction– right down to the last Chiloni.”
To all you Torah haters: yes, there are times when one must close the Gemorah. Eis Laasos Lashem Heyfiru Metorasecha. If the Rabbonim decide that its a good idea, then it will be done!
Interesting how you Torah haters have no problem when they have their “Gay Pride” parade marching thru Yerushalayim ere hakodesh! Not a peep about “security”, “traffic” nightmare, “image”, etc…
PBT: You do understand that by having ended the alliance with the Hareidim, the nationalists will have to live with the previous positions of the Hareidi world. In 1948, many of the rabbanim were willing to oppose going to war with the Arabs and the yeshiva exemption was an inducement. In the 1920s, the Hareidim were negotiating with the Arabs for a peaceful settlement focused on letting Jews live in peace in Eretz Yisrael and letting the Arabs run the government.
Those frum Jews who want to fight for every last inch of Eretz Yisrael currently serve in the army. What’s on the table now would be whether Hareidim would even support settlements such as Tel Aviv. Remember that the Turks never tried to close down yeshivos or throw Yidden for jail for spending too much time learning Torah. More likely is that the Hareidim will ally with the Israeli socialists (if they drop their anti-religious bias) and the Arab parties to end conscription, and in return the Hareidim will support giving up most of the West Bank (note they already agree on economic policy).
To peakman etal:
By learning Torah they are doing more than sharing the burden. Without Torah learning the world cannot exist. Learning all day is not easy. It is probably harder than working an 8 hour a day job. Those of you who think that men learning full time in Yeshiva do it is because they are lazy are speaking from ignorance.
In the larger internationmal sense…who cares?
The Chareidim are marginalizing themselves by continuing to take untenable positions on national service and by seeking to force their hoshkofa on all Israelis, be they Datoi or frei. Any and all self-serving position, be it on the draft or subsidies, they package as “Toyra” and try to ram it down the lives of all Yidden.
And now it looks like they won’t have a voice in the new government, and a bully platform from which to force therir views on others. How sad!
Firstly, its bien hazmanim, secondly, Shas are to take part, thirdly, I ma happy to see that YWN readers are more informed than the Gedolim as what and how to do things
EVERYONE SHOULD SHARE THE BURDEN. SHOW THAT THEY ARE PATRIOTIC. LEARNING TORAH SHOULD CAN BE WEAKENED FOR SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT. THE CLEAR DECISIONS OF THE JEWISH SAGES AGAINST THIS… WELL, WE KNOW BETTER THEN THEM. WHAT BAD CAN COME FROM THIS?
SIGNED PHARAOH, MELECH MIZRAIM
YonasonW : “In the larger internationmal sense…who cares?”
To most Jews, Hareidim are a reminder of what they rejected and want to escape from. Hareidim are their worst nightmare, and anything that distanced themselves from the nightmare (drafting them into the army to beat down their lifestyle, false legal accusations to discredit Torah, etc.) are to be supported. Secular Jews see bashing Hareidim as a civil right.
To most of the goyim, Hareidim are a harmless and peaceful folk, whose rejection of war with their neighbors is to be lauded, not condemned. Most of the western world considers conscription of people whose religious views dictate otherwise to be a serious violation of human rights.
There are some big stakes here.
akuperma:
Look at who you’re relying on to be your “friends” now. Arabs, leftists, the nations… anyone but other Jews who disagree with Haredi arguments. You may not force your way upon others, but you have no problem allying yourself with those who would.
“strong public statement in favor of Torah and Mitsvos”
Make OBAMA’s visit a day of Tefillah, Tzedakah, and Gemilus Chassadim. Best way to show a public statement of Torah and Mitzvohs is in a Toradik behavior.
Can’t see how or why Obama will care how many people are rallying against “Share the Burden”. Perhaps it will increase the Military Grants from the USA to override all those who are anti-IDF.
In light of the fact that Right wing Rabbonim over the years have shunned marches, including those for Soviet Jewry in the dark days of communism, it is unlikely that these same rabbonim will now give their benedictions to such a protest.
Subvert, Evade and Resist.
Interesting how those who aren’t concerned about 3 years of Bittul Torah caused by drafting Chareidim are suddenly worried about a few hours to make a Kiddush Hashem, by saying Tehilim publicly, and hearing from Gedolim, during Bein Hazmanim.
If the hareidim really did portray the rightful image of what Torah is, then there might be more chilonim and hareidim respectin one another. David hamelech fought with the Torah scroll in one hand and the sword in the other. One does not degrade another. By demonstrating in front of Obama, it just proves again that all these hareidim have it all wrong: thinking that a simple man can make a difference instead of the Creator for whom they “study” Torah for….lost in translation if you ask me