Now with coalition agreements signed it is time to look at the logistical implementation of the new realities created by those agreements. This includes the drafting of most draft eligible chareidim to serve in the IDF or an approved national service. However, this will not occur tomorrow morning since the military must prepare to absorb thousands of chareidim, soldiers with a different list style that demands an insulated environment as was created in Nachal Chareidi. In addition, the state will have to establish a national service network with the chareidim in mind, to cater to the realities of a chareidi lifestyle.
The IDF will have the first option regarding available chareidi manpower in the draft and the new inductees will be assigned to one of the specially created programs, including combat positions in the growing Nachal Chareidi (Netzach Yehuda) battalion. On a positive note the new reality will lift the barrier that has prevented so many from seeking employment, compelling them to work illegally today. In additional, vocational training programs will be offered to equip candidates with marketable skills towards earning a living.
In line with coalition agreements, in 2015 the mandatory service for male soldiers will drop from three years to two years, with exceptions for certain units. Those serving additional time will be rewarded when they leave the military in the form of educational grants and other perks. Other changes are expected in the reserve duty framework.
The transition period will continue until August 2017. Until that date, many bnei yeshivos will receive a draft deferment and the number of inductees will increase annually. In 2016, 2,600 chareidim will be drafted to the IDF and 2,000 to national service. New chareidi battalions will be prepared in 2013 and 2014 to accommodate the influx of chareidi recruits.
As the chareidi draft become a reality, enforcement and monitoring will increase. When the new sharing the burden reality is in full swing, in five years, 1,800 “masmidim” will be granted a draft deferment annually while all others will be expected to service. The masmidim will have to continue limudim until age 26, at which time that may enter the workforce. While all talmidim will have to report to induction centers at age 17, like all males in Israel, the chareidim will have an option to delay service until age 21, permitting them to learn for a number of years. The plan calls for a minimum of 1,600 chareidim serving as combat soldiers.
There will be constant monitoring of the masmidim to make certain that they are in the beis medrash every day. Economic sanctions will be leveled on those who are not in compliance.
A national service entity will be created under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade, and this body will oversee the various approved service programs as an alternative to IDF service. At present it appears frum women will not be called to any service, maintaining the religious status quo in this area.
Hesder Yeshivot will continue under the new framework, and a talmid will serve 17 months during his 60 month hesder service, with the remainder dedicated to limud Torah.
The new law will seek to increase participation in national service from the Arab sector, setting a goal of 6,000 annually within five years. In the early stage the program will be voluntary for a one year minimum sign up and participants will receive academic perks.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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20 Responses
And what will they do with the ones who refuse, not just the hard core anti-zionists such as Satmar and Toldos Aharon, but even the maminstream Hasidim and yeshivish ones? Will they take “no” for an answer.
How will they choose who will be exempt (the LItvaks or the Hasidim, the Ashkenazi or the Sefardi, the rich or the poor)? Many would argue that in this case, when the enemies of HaShem say “give us one” and we’ll spare the rest, we must all resist.
And what happens when the Bnei Torah get drafted and refuse to obey orders. WIll they accept orders from hiloni or zionist officers? WIll they accept a psak halacha from the army rabbinate?
This is a major disaster in the making. It is good that the Arabs are having civil wars, since if not they could exploit the situation. But as long as the Arabs are fighting each other, I guess the Jews can start fighting each other as well.
I think it will be interesting to watch who gets the “Masmid” title. That will be war.
Vehi she’amda…. Perfect timing.
Now that we have no friend in the knesset we can really put our trust in Hashem and await His much needed salvation…
Its all about tefilla rabosai……
The only two fair answers for how the masmidim will be chosen are for standardized tests with the best being chosen or by lottery from the appropriate candidate pool. Any other system would be rife with graft and corruption which of course would never occur in Isra…. Ummm.. then again…
I am also wandering if the army has thought of preparing for the effect that thousands of chareidim ( the ones not in prison or otherwise resisting ala Akuperma’s scenario) joining the army en mass. Influence is likely to not only be in one direction. What is the army doing to anticipate the effect of their “regular” units being influenced towards frumkeit and demanding better Kashrut, less mixing of the sexes, only going on missions on Shabbos when lives are at stake, time for their newfound interest in Torah study etc.?
MK Eichler put it, they want the chareidim to be their “chotvei mayim” and “shoavei eitzim”
what about the two who were kicked from iaf pilot course because their beards would affect “unit cohesion”
5/17/12
The Israeli Finance Ministry is crafting a proposal to induct chareidi men at age 20 into police and fire-fighting units. The plan aims to replace the Tal Law, following criticism by the High Court of Justice of inequality in the legislation, Haaretz reports.
…to the unrespected units.The new air fire-fighting unit,for example, is closed to charedim.
“chotvei mayim” and “shoavei eitzim”
chotvei eitzim
shoavei mayim
#6 there is an actual problem of being in the air force and having a beard. That problem is, pilots must wear a mask when flying at certain altitudes or certain G Forces and if they have a beard their mask will not seal, rendering it ineffective and risking their lives.
It will be curious to see what the impact of hundreds or thousands of haredi young men will be on their secular brethren, many of whom have never interacted with frum Jews, and certainly do not have nearly their level and depth of understanding of the classical pillars of the Jewish identity: Torah sh’b’al peh, Torah sh’b’ksav, halacha, meforshim, the baalei mussar, etc. Having served in the US military as a rabbi for 13 years, I have seen first hand how soldiers who have a profound sense of purpose and mission are able to maintain a very high level of morale and threshold of endurance. IDF officers have echoed this sentiment; one told me that his hesder soldiers had an inner strength and resolve that was incredible and inspiring. This officer was secular, and had the rank of colonel.
they have already said the only punishments will be financial. There will be no arrests for not being drafted.
No one will join. No one will serve. No one will “share the burden” of kfira.
Everything written in this article is bunk. It simply will never happen. What is the point in writing “there will be constant monitering etc. etc.” when there won’t? Why project secular pipe-dreams as if they were reality? Do we really need to back them up?
These matters have already come up in the past.
2. Cantonists (cf. Russia, early 19th century). Many would argue that the process of picking who got drafted initiated the process of the Orthodox community breaking down, leading to the massive shmad and virtual destruction of Ashkenazi Jews that we are still experience (as in America where until the Baal Tseuvah movement started 40 years ago, the percentage of Shomer Shabbos had fallen to under 5%).
4. Psychometric tests in Israel/IQ tests in America in early 20th century (the former were designed to make sure only secular Asheknazi entered the upper class, the latter were used in WWI and proved that most Jews were mentally retarded). Standardized tests reflect the extent the tester agrees with the student – not intelligence or learning. A test will differ if written by Mosad haRav Kook, Mir or Porat Yosef.
5. Military prison or the equivalent of a dishonorable discharge. There always have been some hareidim in regular units. A higher percentage means a higher likelihood of concerted resistance to order.
6. Buffalo soldiers (US) or Native regiments (UK). Segregated units with limited promotion opportunties and undesirable duties only work with highly motivated soldiers (think of the 54th Massachusetts), not soldiers who feel oppressed (think Sepoy Mutiny).
10. What about any who refuse to serve, and refuse to pay fines, and have no assets that can be seized. If they aren’t punished, then in effect military service has become voluntary. Groups affiliated with the Eidah Hareidis are highly unlikely to be willing to serve, and their courageous resistance will inspire others.
They will not be able to draft chareidim or punish them financially if Arabs can get away with being drafted and yet get financial support from the government.
Reading the comments to this and the other similar articles is enlightening and sad.
Beards, and air force pilots – really? This is what has you losing sleep? Well I wouldn’t worry because it is unlikely that anyone coming out of our Haredi education system will have the basic math and science to become a pilot!
On the other hand, the positive benefits serving could have on young Haredim and secular Israelis could be enormous: neither have any real knowledge or experience of the other; our young shomrei Torah look on the non Haredi world as something they can live without, people who are “Israeli” & not Jews. This is an ongoing hole in their Torah education & unless they are cutting the 4 sons down to 1 at their seders, all these people are as Jewish as each other – it takes 10 Jews to make a minyan before Hashem, not 10 Haredi Jews!
If drafting haredim brings only one benefit, a growth in Ahavos Yisroel in our community, then it will be worth it. Now stop freaking out – the world is changing and the haredi world is being told to contribute in a new way – to walk and work among the wider Jewish community, because Hashem has perhaps deemed that it is time for them to share their learning, to take it out of the Beis Midrash and into the world, where it is so desperately needed.
Yair lapid is clearly a man blinded from seeing any truth. He had a father who was probably the most pathetic creature to walk the earth a man who experienced gehinnom on earth and chose to experience gehinnom after death with his blind hatred for anything having to do with god. What do you expect from his son? But the arrogance??!! You are surrounded by billions of people wanting to lynch each and ever one of you and you think your measly army just wins wars? No fools! It’s because god protects you. And if you go after his soldiers– the people who dedicate their lives to discover and deliver the Robono shel olam’s message to all of us don’t expect him to protect him from our enemies!
For those who think this represents the Exodus of Egypt and solid belief and trust in Hashem are only half right. We had the five days (or was it three days) of non-stop learning, watching out for loshon Hara, extra observance of shabbos and taharas mishpacha, etc and we can say that obviously additional effort is needed. Leaving Egypt and Pharoah required a strong belief/trust in Hashem as well as our own physical participation and performance. It’s difficult to find a form of negotiation on either side, but we see (unfortunately) the status quo of just learning for years on end is changing.
the deal allows ALL beni yeshiva to learn until 21. then 1,800 can stay in kollel. the remaining can stay in kollel and pay a fine, or work and pay a afine. whats the big deal? Now they can work honestly. they wont have to collect in america. The charedi parties “claim” that many charedim work already, so it isnt too bad.
They are kvethching like babies because they are losing their free funding and free childcare, guess what? most serious honest working bnei torah in the US get up early to learn. work a full day (and night in most professions) pay tuition and dont get free daycare. We dont hold of the medinah, so we cant suck them dry anymore. Israel will be like the US. The chredim will have to work and pay tuition.
Their biggest issue is that Since they are cutting funding to foreign students Americans wont come to Israeli yeshivas en mass. Thats not good for the Isarelis bec now the yeshivas will have less talmidim, so less fudn raising in the US. Thats a good thing for americans. Shidduch age boys and girls will remain at home so they can see how a functioing family operates. It will help foster a better marriage.
Overall this is a good thing for charedim. take step back and think about it.
did the chsredi politicians offer a better plan?
#19 No plan called passive involvement.