MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Yisrael Eichler joined his colleagues, releasing a statement to the media following the cabinet’s passing of the Share the Burden Bill on Sunday which is intended to draft bnei yeshivos into the IDF.
“The government decision declaring lomdei Torah law-breaking criminals is an attack against our right to exist in the Jewish State. The evil government will not succeed in compelling the draft law upon us because the bnei torah, roshei yeshivos and rabbonim and will go to prison proudly together with their talmidim who are being hunted in our holy land.”
“Jewish history will remember with eternal shame the decree signed during the Three Weeks against Toras Yisrael and it will be remembered on the fast of Tisha B’Av.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
but more than thT isnt it incumbent on us to strenghen torah and yira without excuses
So articulate publicly until it resonates in every language,that this state is on the verge of being an Un Jewish State
May the downfall of Lapid, Piron, Lipman, Bennett, Netanyahu, etc come quickly!
HaRav Elya Lopian zt’l would have said that the bnei yeshivos bear some responsibility.
There is a silent cry
“Worry more about us.
Even when we scream against you,continue to coerce us to be Jewish”
That’s right, “Jewish history will remember with eternal shame the decree signed during the Three Weeks” just like they’ll forever remember Israel’s shame for the expulsion of nearly 10,000 Jews right after Tisha b’Av 8 years ago.
However, this bill will not come to pass and we have nothing to fear because:
1) There’s no way the reshaim in the government can enforce a bill if other segments of Israel, i.e. Arabs, will not be included, because of the obvious discrimination and racism.
2) The reshaim cannot enforce a bill if more than 1/3 of the chilonim are allowed to evade the draft.
3) If all Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshivot take responsibility and their chassidim and talmidim even those who are not in Yeshiva will all send a registered letter to the IDF office “My Rabbi/Rosh Yeshiva prohibits me from joining the army or doing national service, etc, take it up with him/them,” there’s no way that any charedi will join the army or do national service. Will they lock up the Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshivot?
If my son refuses to leave his yeshiva and enter the army at some point he will be a criminal. How can there be a different rule for other frum yidden? Why should he serve if an entire population doesnt? We live here in Israel under huge threat! Still I know that if these young haredim have the courage of their convictions then they will use their prison time to learn shtark for a couple of years – I know the Israeli prisons can provide sfraim & even Batei Midrash for them.
He is threatening civil disobedience and mass resistance.
Will the Degel Ha-Torah/Agudah camp be united? What about Shas (and the Sefardim)?
Will he risk Israel’s international standing by complaining to international human rights groups?
Is he willing to follow the lead of Eidah Hareidis and express a preference for being ruled by Muslims rather than Zionists?
How will he act to kanoi’im who decide to engage in terrorism?
Will he encourage hareidi soldiers currently serving in the military to refuse to obey orders, mutiny, or at least demand a discharge on the theory they were enlisted under false pretenses.
Does he realize he is calling for a probably permanent break between the Bnei Torah and the zionists.
its frankly embarrassing that draft dodging chareidim are using learning as an excuse for their refusal to work or serve
what possible excuse can you have for not doing volunteer service for your own community.
#8 Before being motzi shem ra on charedim and Rabbanim for draft dodging and for not doing voluntary work, why don’t you look into the matter and inquire why all Rabbanim are so against charedim, whether they learn or not, from dodging the draft and national service? If you feel embarrassed about it, you probably don’t belong among this holy group of Jews because otherwise you wouldn’t question our Rabbis.
Second, don’t speak about volunteer service to charedim because who can compare to charedim with their chessed and voluntary work anywhere in the world?
1818, that segment of the community has its possible excuses nicely lined up: the Brisker Rav said, the Chazon Ish said, the Ran said…. Read last Friday’s Hapeles for more excuses in shriller tones of voice, targeting not “the Zionists” but fellow haredim. The attitudes expressed there, and above, are sustainable by a small population that won’t work or serve, but not by a large one, which will.
The issue isn’t hareidim doing voluntary service for our own community (and the community at large). That happens. In fact all studies have shown that the hareidi “civil society” draws rings around the hiloni sector. What the Israeli government call “civil service” is merely conscript service without being in the military – it is to serve the needs of state, not the community or the people. We should be equally proud of our own community’s record of voluntary service, and its refusal to be subordinated to a corrupt state.