IDF officials have come to the realization that for Zealots living in Beit Shemesh, seeing a black yarmulke and olive green attire is a red flag, one that leads to attacks against frum soldiers in too many cases. Therefore IDF officials have given an order permitting Beit Shemesh residents to travel to and from their homes in civilian garb. The new directive, which applies to soldiers and officers alike, was issued a number of months ago.
According to the Walla News report soldiers change their clothing in the central bus station to avoid being seen in Beit Shemesh in uniform, a reality that has provoked acts of violence against them. A number of soldiers and officers submitted requests, seeking to travel to and from their home community in civilian clothing. The report quotes the Beit Shemesh soldiers saying that by and large they live in peace in the community but the small number of zealots is unwilling to accept seeing a frum person in an IDF uniform.
“Walking around their community in uniform for them is getting in their face. This began about a year ago with the effort to compel chareidim to serve” explains “Y”. The number of attacks against uniformed military personnel in Beit Shemesh was on the rise. This holds true in Meah Shearim too but the report cites the situation is far more serious in Beit Shemesh.
Usually the attacks remain in the framework of verbal assaults including shouts of “Chardak” and the like. At times there is spitting and in fewer cases actual physical assaults. One soldier, who wears a kippa sruga, reports he was pushed around to prevent him from getting on a bus explaining they are unwilling to sit next to chardakim”. “A” adds the harassment is accurate but he does not believe there were actual physical attacks against soldiers.
“M”, who is a member of the kippa sruga community in Beit Shemesh and serves as a combat soldier did not wait to be targeted, submitting a request to travel in civvies before something occurs. “The atmosphere on the street has changed. There was an attitude that they are chasing after us. We have learned the person heading this nationwide campaign lives here in Beit Shemesh. I saw pashkavilim against us. I saw how they look at me”.
Walla:
What about combat officers, who travel with a weapon. Aren’t they detected even if traveling in civvies?
“M” Responds:
They are recognized but it is not the same if they are not wearing the uniform. It is not as in their face in civvies. They respond to this as they do when they feel a woman is passing through and she is not dressed modestly”.
Walla:
Are you speaking of people who follow a certain rav? Have you tried speaking with them?
“M” Responds:
We have tried, not just me but others, on several occasions, including with their rabbonim but it appears they do not have control over them [the fanatics].
“Y” Responds:
I do not feel this is done with the backing or encouragement of the rabbonim as extreme as they may be. Speaking from a personal perspective, the attitude towards us in the city from the chareidim makes it difficult. You are out there trying to defend the country, you give of yourself and place yourself in danger at times and at the end you have to take off the uniform [to get home and back]. You have to sneak home and out so you are not recognized as if you are heading to a refugee camp in Jenin. This is an embarrassment to the state and to us as a society.
“A” Adds:
It took months of requesting until IDF officials approved it. It makes a significant difference for us. I return home with a feeling of safety. I do believe tensions surrounding this have diminished somewhat of late but I do not wish to chance my luck here. They train us to fight in the battlefield and not to defend ourselves against chareidim. This is what the police are for.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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18 Responses
why not a few undercover operations – arrest these fools and toss them in jail for a long time.
The truth is that the IDF is far from a place for religious Jews to be. The immorality that goes on there, the chillul Shabba and Chillul Hashem is a disgrace for an army of a Jewis state. Any religious Jew who must join this army should – for their own sake – remove their defilement that has become contaminated. I can understand why those who don’t, get attacked. It’s just not right to walk around with sullied clothes in holy communities. Would anyone dare walk into a mosque with thei shoes? Why shouldn’t Jewish shuls be equally respected?
Better yet the IDF should give these guys tasers.
The reality of these attacks is so disgusting and a tremendous chilul Hashem. It was for attitudes and actions such as these that the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed!
This is a terrible chillul Hashem. And it gives all of us Torah Jews a bad name. This does not increase the love of Torah by others.
The soldiers were “played for fools” by the state. They joined the army under false pretenses. They are now realizing that the army they joined is dedicated to destroying Torah and undermining the existence of Klal Yisrael.
As long as there is hope of return to the status quo ante in which Medinat Yisrael supports yeshivos and promotes learning Torah and Yiddishkeit, it might be permissable for them to consider to serve in the IDF (remember the new laws haven’t taken effect yet). However Bayit Yehudi, Likud and Yesh Atid have announced that “Me neged ha-Shem itano” (who is against Ha-Shem, join us”, and the frum soldiers find themselves wearing the uniform of the enemy team, and very soon they will have to decide between whether their loyalty is to Ha-Shem or to the Medinah, and they won’t be able to waffle.
#2. Can you give some examples of chillul shabbos and immorality that goes on there? Are you saying because you know or because you are just talking?
Arye, you’re making up new Torah. Nowhere does “old” Torah prescribe beatings by passersby for one who visited a place of “defilement,” as judged by the clothing one wears. Even punishing people for *committing* defilement requires hatra’a and ‘eidim. Wearing “contaminated” clothing isn’t enough.
#7: The immorality is not only well known in the army, they are famous for it.
I’ll just be dan lkaf zhus and assume that you are a highly misguided baal teshuva
I’ll advise you to speak to a rav you to seem to be an intelligent person
smiley face are you aware that there are free abortions in the army or are you just talking.
Aka Pooka:
Why would a BT be any more “misguided” than an FFB?
Charedim are the largest perpetrators of PRICE TAG attacks by attacking IDF SOLDIERS, police, emergency personnel & destroyers of State property. They should be arrested & tried as TERRORISTS ( isn’t that what they call Price Tag settlers?)
Akuperma. Like you.
Case in Point:
One who serves in the army is doing it at his own will. Its between him and G-D.
An “extremist” who feels a soldier is doing the wrong thing can give him mussar the proper way as described in Halacha, none of which includes being publicly ostracized.
If one feels his lack of reaction may have a negative impact on his chilren, family, talmidim, etc. One can easily explain that to the masses in the confines of the home, yeshiva or shul, some may vouch for “pachkevillin”.
Oh , and dont get me wrong, i personally spoke to a soldier, one who served in Nachal Charedi and one who didnt, both painted a picture that was far from befitting of any torah-oriented jew to say the least.
I love you people sit here making comments against the idf, when you have no real idea what goes on there, you’re just used to hearing what your Roshei yeshiva say. Let me tell you, as a proud soldier and many of my friends went to the idf too, that you only drop in spirituality if you want to. The Nachal chareidi allows soldiers to remain fully religious. As for you, the person who commented and said we were recruited under false pretenses, what are you talking about? You have no idea what you’re talking about. We, American teenagers, join for many different reasons: we want the discipline of the army, we love Israel, etc. in fact, a lot of us were coming from the streets where we were doing drugs and other illegal activities, and joining the army was the best possible decision. So please do t comment if you have no clue what you are taking about
Rather than give them permission to change their clothes, the army should give these gibborim permission to defend themselves by any means necessary.
“Better yet the IDF should give these guys tasers.”
“Rather than give them permission to change their clothes, the army should give these gibborim permission to defend themselves by any means necessary.”
They should treat these allegedly Jewish terrorists the same way they treat Arab terrorists. If they need to shoot them, do so. If they can capture them, put them in indefinitely solitary confinement until a peace agreement is reached.