Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Major-General Benny Gantz feels in the coming decade, the government must work towards implementing a system in which everyone is compelled to take part in a compulsory service, whether in the form of military service of another arrangement – but no one can be exempt from serving the country in one form or another. The deputy commander made his comments before a forum at Tel Aviv University, insisting no one should be exonerated from serving the country.
He admitted he was addressing a highly sensitive matter, stating “I am trying to walk between the rain drops”, avoiding mention of the chareidi community by name.
He feels the IDF must remain the highest priority regarding a form of national service, expressing that today, a small few carry the burden of reserve duty and this is unacceptable. He feels reservists mustn’t be used in administrative positions, but in combat slots, and that they must receive adequate compensation and satisfactory conditions towards doing everything to acknowledge their commitment and service.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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10 Responses
Hopefully, he will come to an understanding, as even Shimon Peres did at one time, that those learning are performing the highest form of national service.
Those who aren’t learning, however, should find some way to serve the Klal.
tell him that when they decide that everyone should serve in “hashems” army then we can discuss israels army but so long as much of the government despises religion and religious jews he should take a hike
Why can’t they understand that this is the ‘jewish state’. We protect the ‘jewish’ and they protect the ‘state’!
If the army wants frum soldiers, they would modify the army so it accomodates frum Jews in all units (perhaps limiting soldiers who insists on a hiloni lifestyle to special segregated units given undesirable duties and no chance of advancement, and always under the ultimate command of people who regard them as undesirables).
You’ll know there are changes when secular offices come home complaining they had to pretend to be religious so as not to hinder their career. You’ll know there have been changes when one sees statistics that no female soldiers had abortions. You’ll know there are changes when hilonim come home complaining that if they wanted to live like monks they would have converted and gone to a monastary (:-)). You’ll know there have been changes when gedolim tell people that “of course bitul Torah is a problem with the army, but Barukh ha-SHem, Shabbos and kashrut are never an issue. You’ll know there have been changes when there develop a group of lawyers making their parnassah defending officers who are fighting their dismissal for being unfit to command due to their anti-religious biases (and I bet none of them will be Druze).
when the gemara goes into detail about who is exempt from fighting in battle and who is not, there is ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION of someone who is “learning” in kollel. look it up. its the 8th perrek of sotah.
Shameful and selfish – There is a shared obligation in any country to participate in the defense of the state. The more of you who evade it, the longer the term of obligation for everybody else. The elite learners should be supported learning – the rest of you are nothing but parasitic draft dodgers who use Torah and learning as an excuse.
you are voluntarly living a secular state ,if you want to live in a religious state, under athoaraty of a secular state, who do u think is going to win
#6:
How does one decide who are the elite?
How many of the so-called “elite” is the exact right amount? Realize that if we have to few, we’ll upset God, and too many will bother the government…
Without everyone jumping on and attacking me, can someone please calmly and rationally explain to me the objection to religious people serving out their required term my opting to do sheirut l’umi or some type of similar service?
#9 — it takes them away from Torah, which is the true protection.