The Shaked Committee is in what appears to be the final stages of formulating the nation’s new chareidi draft law. Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beitenu on Monday 10 Adar I 5774 agreed to lengthen mandatory service for hesder soldiers to two years. Bayit Yehudi enlisted the support of chareidim to torpedo their agenda. For some, there was an element of surprise as chareidim agreed to come to Bennett’s assistance but that is exactly what they did to prevent hesder talmidim from losing a month of limud Torah. Bennett was promised Yesh Atid would support his party regarding hesder, but it was not so. In addition, he realized Labor and Yisrael Beitenu were against him, compelling him to turn to the chareidim for assistance.
Hesder Service
Hesder talmidim currently serve 16 months and in line with the decision of the Peri Committee, the predecessor to the Shaked Committee, header soldiers would serve an additional month. The lone opponent to this was MK (The Movement) Elazar Stern, who feels this too is insufficient. He wants hesder talmidim to serve 24 months. This was especially surprising for in the months of committee meetings, the chareidim were antagonistic towards hesder, telling committee members they only serve 16 months.
Breaking the Coalition Agreements
Shaked accused Yisrael Beitenu of acting contrary to coalition agreements, warning party leader Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman the matter would not pass quietly. She told Lieberman so in a private meeting after the committee adjourned.
Service for Men Curtailed
The committee members did manage to agree on one thing, mandatory service for men will be curtailed by four months, from the current 36 months to 32 months.
Service for Women Not Extended
However, to the dismay of Brigadier-General Gadi Agmon, the IDF’s representative to the Shaked Committee, Shaked announced the committee will not support lengthening military service for women as planned. Agmon tried to explain that it is one process, shortening the service of men and adding to the service of women, towards creating balance and equality. The senior officer warned that the current reality will result in a manpower shortage in certain areas.
Maariv: The Chareidi Support was Not Entirely Genuine
Regarding the hesder vote, Maariv adds that the chareidi representatives, Meir Porush and Ariel Atias were not as ideological as one might have believed to be the case for it was made clear to them by Bayit Yehudi if they do not come to the dati leumi party’s side for the hesder vote, the chareidim can forget about any future Bayit Yehudi backing on chareidi matters being decided upon by the committee.
Stern: Hesder Talmidim Must Serve More
Stern demanded a “revision”, a revote, and on Tuesday, 11 Adar I, he will once again seek to have hesder soldiers’ service extended to two years.
What About Chabad?
And now we move to the Chabad arena. As things appear today, Chabad will sign an agreement independent of the other sectors of the chareidi tzibur by which they will service in the IDF, about 400-500 strong annually. The committee is now aware that upon completing yeshiva gedola, Chabadnikim head for 770 for a year of “Kvutza” so they will be permitted to leave Israel for two years [as is the case today], and upon their return, they will serve in the IDF, inducted at age 25. Chabad rabbonim appear to be okay with this arrangement providing the young man is married, which in Chabad circles is generally the case.
Kiryat Gat Chief Rabbi Moshe Havlin explains this is what the Rebbe instructed them to do as most of the Chabadnikim do not continue limud Torah fulltime. Rav Havlin explains most will learn an additional year or two following their chasenah and then head for shlichus or join the workforce. Rav Havlin feels that if the conditions set by the rabbonim are met, once an avreich leaves kollel there is no reason for him not to serve in the IDF, stressing it must be in an appropriate framework. One of the deal breakers is that only avreichim will be inducted and not unmarried talmidim.
Shaked is signaling she is okay with the Chabad plan, which includes a deferment for 10-20 talmidim annually, those who remain committed to limud fulltime as is allotted among the general chareidi and dati leumi talmidim.
Brig.-Gen. Agmon feels the Chabad plan will be problematic due to the timing issue, for if they are inducted independently of others, it will be difficult to find an appropriate framework.
So the Shaked Committee for justice and equality continues its efforts to pass a new chareidi draft law and implement increased equality in matters pertaining to military service. The first reports from Tuesday’s meeting signal it broke apart after less than an hour.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Who really cares. Chareidim will disregard any new law inducting them involuntarily. Let the Israelis start building new prisons for thousands of Chareidi draft-dodgers. And the let the Israelis start hiring thousands of new police officers to regulate the ceaseless Chareidi protests with tens of thousands of religious Jews across the country outside the new prisons and on the streets, tying up the police and traffic for months and months or until they release the draft dodging prisoners.
A large percentage of Hareidim will refuse to serve regardless of what the government says, and with many hareidim publicly opposing the law even those hareidim who have no objection to serving in the military (either after yeshiva, or if a credible hareidi framework was established within the army) will be very reluctant to serve. Also, knowing that many hareidim are openly opposing the state will make the army nervous about whether they can trust those hareidim that do serve in the IDF (similar to the problem they have with Arab volunteers — can you trust someone whose cousin is your enemy).
“Draft dodgers” are people who accept the legitimacy of the government and its policy, and attempt to find ways to avoid military service (if they also favor a strong military policy, in America they are called “chicken hawks”). DRAFT RESISTORS are those who say that even if the army offered them a job sitting in beis medrash all day, they would refuse because the army and the state are contrary to Torah and therefore illegitimate. In addition to making it “awkward” for pro-medinah hareidim to serve, the rest of the world will take notice of Israel persecuting a religious minority for refusing to fight in the war – and that notice will be highly unfavorable (though it certainly will create an opening for kiruv among the many secular Jews who identify Judaism with militaristic zionism, but will be impressed by highly principled anti-war hareidim willing to suffer for their beliefs).
The only solutions that won’t be disasterous either involve switching to a professional volunteer army (which is what it appears many in the military favor), or exempting as conscientious objectors those who state they have religious or moral objections to serving in the IDF (and presumably using economic incentives to recruit those without such objections).
“once an avreich leaves kollel there is no reason for him not to serve in the IDF, stressing it must be in an appropriate framework”
This used to be the DAAS TORAH of the Gedolim of Eretz Yisroel prior to year 2000. What caused the change?
#3: Pro-zionist rabbanim (and that includes those who support Shas, Degel ha-Torah and Agudah, which take part in elections and who seek and accept government funding) held that once someone leaves yeshiva they should serve in the IDF. Many of them have changed their minds since the policy to draft yeshiva students has changed their perception of the IDF, which is now perceived as engaging into being anti-hareidi as a matter of policy (remember, drafting yeshiva students is oppsed by much of the IDF since it will weaken the army’s ability to defend the country).
In addition, non-zionist rabbanim (who don’t sit in the Kenesset and don’t accept government funding) always opposed service in the IDF since zionism is contray to Torah (and therefore the Israelis are aggressors in the war, and as such have a duty to withdraw from the conflict, as from that perspective, the Arabs are the Nirdafim and the Israelis are the Rodefim) , but rather than make a fuss (except for Neturei Karta types, who enjoy making a fuss) they would state that Torah was their profession and be exempted on that basis. This is the group that is loudly protesting, and may be much larger than many supposed (and thanks to Lapid and Bennett are growing), and this group if locked up in prison could hurt Israel since most of the west will see them as persecuted religious conscientious objectors.
No, it was the Daas Baalhabtim before and after 2000. It was never Daas Torah.