The conscription law is back on the agenda ahead of the Knesset’s summer session, Yisrael Hayom reported on Sunday.
Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich received the authority to lead the issue in the coalition and has been working for three months to formulate a comprehensive package deal, which will balance the desires of the Chareidi sector and the economic need to integrate them into the labor market.
According to the report, the negotiations in the government between the defense, finance, and justice ministries and Chareidi parties are approaching the decisive moments. The government understands that the Chareidi MKs will not vote on the budget until the draft issue is resolved, as agreed upon in the coalition agreements.
According to Smotrich’s plan, after years of the state trying to recruit Chareidim by force and failing, a comprehensive deal must be made, which he calls a “new social contract”.
According to this outline, the focus is on equality in the economic burden, which to a certain extent outweighs the equality in the security burden, by lowering the exemption age for Chareidim and encouraging them to enter the job market earlier, a move that may increase the Chareidi contribution to the economy. Additionally, the length of mandatory service in the IDF will be reduced to only two years for men, perhaps leading to an increase in Chareidi recruits.
The government made a large investment in the integration of Chareidim in the employment market, in the opening of branches of technological colleges, professional training and the accessibility of English, mathematics and computer studies in informal settings in the Charedi sector, to support, among other things, the new recruitment law.
Smotrich said in recent months that he believes that this government can lead a change that previous governments have not succeeded to carry out as the government now includes Chareidim and a finance minister who values Torah study and the Chareidi way of life and is not perceived as hostile or as someone who seeks to coerce or re-educate them.
The main points of the program: parallel legislative amendments so that on the one hand the exemption age for the Chareidim will be lowered to 21, so that they can go to work earlier and contribute to equality in the economic burden of the state, and on the other hand the length of mandatory service in the IDF will be reduced to only two years for men. The army will maintain soldiers for longer service according to a differential model, with those serving for longer receiving a salary increase.
In addition, a service premium law will be passed that will grant benefits to soldiers during recruitment and after it, such as preference in tenders, full funding for higher studies, annual vacation days, and more.
On a political level, the fear of the Chareidi parties is that yeshiva bochurim will go to work if the exemption age is too low – and on the other hand, they do not want quotas and sanctions. The UTJ party agreed to lower the exemption age to 21, while in Shas they fear the young men going to work early and want an exemption age higher than 21, but are willing to compromise for a conscription law that will stand the test of the Supreme Court and receive the support of the Defense Ministry.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Why not impose a mandatory public service obligation so those Chareidi boys and girls who don’t want to serve 2 years in the IDF be required to work at least 1 year in some alternative public service role in their communities such as working in teaching assistants in schools, aides in nursing homes, hospitals etc. There is no “disrespect” for torah learning in having them provide badly needed assistance in various tasks serving their communities.
Them stopping at taking a kid from the Gemara and going to the army is Russia saying that it only wants Ukraine but the aguda is now with them the tzadikim saved and made the families of Israel
The best solution would be to end all exemptions, but establish military yeshivos where soldiers learn Torah in uniform and under military discipline. Being late to seder, or batteling in seder, would land you in the brig. A recruit could request assignment to one of these yeshivos, and time spent there would count as military service, the same as time spent in any other unit.
I’m sure that Dorah is waiting to hear how disrespectful she is.
I learned from 18 until 29 to get my army exemption.
Now the standard is 8 years to get an exemption. And that is only because they hope they will not learn in kollel after the age of 26.
11 years in yeshiva and kollel is not equal to peeling potatoes or reporting for GL”Z for 3 years?!
How many years did she serve her country for?
1. Abolishing conscription would probably work best, though it would require paying soldiers more and giving significant benefits.
2. Establishing a principle of equal treatment of anti-zionist Haredim and anti-zionist Palestinians would also uncomplicate matters (treat all refusing to serve in the military the same, regardless of whether they are Hareidi, Palestinian, or seculars for whom army life is unappealing for whatever reasons).
3. Giving secular Jews options to engage in secular (perhaps limited to Jewish) studies in non-degree programs (that do not produce transfer credits towards academic degrees) would reduce opposition to exempting yeshiva students.
4. Recognizing the principle of conscientious objection would also simplify matters, though Religious Zionists will be annoyed at Hareidim refusing to serve in the army on the grounds that halacha prohibits.
Pidion shavuyim is such an important mitzvah it’s even docheh Shabbos. Can you believe that? Very serious mitzvah. Very serious.
Gadolhadorah, you’re missing the point, it’s not about national security or serving the nation, it’s about breaking the yolk of Torah in Yisroel so that Yiddin have less children and live like goyim as the establishment wants. You suggestions would not serve their purposes. They don’t want Yiddin helping Torah communities. They simply don’t want Torah communities.
It has to be a choice, and whoever choose to serve in the army must be well paid and valorized. A lot of these kids leave the army with ptsd because it’s not their thing. A selection of the right people is needed.
“11 years in yeshiva and kollel is not equal to peeling potatoes….”
Well, it depends on whose potatoes are being peeled. Based on your post, you obviously have little to show for over a decade of shteiging.