Chareidi opposition to the draft law aside, the Bayit Yehudi party, which heads the Shaked Committee is facing the boomerang impact of its tenacious efforts to induct chareidim into the military. The dati leumi’s cherished hesder yeshivos continue to come under attack. While the committee last week voted to add one month of military service to hesder talmidim, from 16 to 17 months, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and others do not appear willing to let this pass. When committee Chairwoman Ayelet Shaked announced hesder talmidim would serve an additional month of military service, she thought the matter was put to rest. She was wrong.
According to a Yediot Achronot report, Ya’alon is working to use his position to compel a change so that hesder students serve 36 months, or at the very least, 24 months. Currently, until the passing of the new draft law in Knesset, hesder students sign on for a 60 month commitment. Of those 60 months, 16 are spent in the IDF and the remainder in beis medrash.
The effort to compel chareidim to serve has brought the hesder reality into the public spotlight and there is a growing demands that hesder talmidim begin serving 36 months like all male soldiers. Once the new draft law is passed, the service for men will be reduced to 32 months.
Hence, Ya’alon’s position is still a merciful one but Bayit Yehudi is still adamantly opposed to adding any additional military service to its hesder students, eliciting harsh criticism as members of the committee and elected officials question the lack of equality from the dati leumi hesder community. There is a growing sentiment that hesder has ‘duped’ the nation over the years into believing its soldiers are burdened with a fair share of the nation’s security burden when this is not so.
Yediot quotes the defense minister stating “from my perspective everyone must serve three years without special accommodations” adding “There are however political and other types of deals permitting shorter service. In the case of hesder yeshivot, which provides excellent combatants, I have said to the committee I believe they should serve 24 or 36 months but we are compelled to remain in the parameters of the coalition agreement”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
hesder is a real Kiddush haShem. be’chasdei haShem, chareidim will be given the same opportunity. hesder will continue almost as before.
G-d bless Hesder guys. True Jews.
The Religious Zionist put their arm around the hilonim, and said “We zionists – we’ll teach those hareidi a thing or two”. Put the hilonim pushed them away and said “We zionists – we’ll teach those religious a thing or two”.
After years of believing that the hesder were highly regarded members of the IDF, the Dati Leumi camp is learning the truth. They are just as much as enemy of the those who rule Israel as hareidim. The issue is not, as the Dati Leumi deluded themselves into believing, whether you are for or against zionism. The line dividing Israeli society is Torah and Mitsvos — and to the majority of the zionist population of Israel, the Dati Leumi are on the wrong side.
#1 DrYidd – I’m sorry to say, but you are an absolute fool! Do you really think that the anti-Torah government will stop at just demanding Chereidim serve? The next step will be to abolish the Hesder Yeshivas! After all, their slogan is “Share the Burden”! How is getting off more than half the army service time called “Sharing the Burden”?! Why should a Dati-Leumi person only have to serve 17 months while a Chiloni has to serve 36?! Do you honestly believe that your commitment to learn for the remaining 43 months means anything to them?!
Learn from pastor Martin Niemöller!
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.”