A senior IDF officer met in recent weeks with Maran HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita in the latter’s Bnei Brak home. Just last week, IDF Spokesman Brigadier-General Binayahu spoke of the chareidim in the IDF as being the highest motivated ethnic group in the military, confirming reports of plans to seek to enlist chareidim into other areas of the military bases on the success of the past.

The newest plan details enlisting chareidim into the Homefront Command, to train them to serve in a time of emergency, to liaison between different agencies.

Kikar reports that regarding the meeting between the officer and Rav Kanievsky, the Rav preferred not to respond to a question that directly impacts the future of yeshivos and on the other hand, involves pikuach nefesh. The Rav referred him to the Ponevezh Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein Shlita. The senior military official visited with the Rosh Yeshiva, explaining the importance of the program in a time of emergency. The rosh yeshiva explained that placing the bochrim in a military environment will not enhance their yiddishkheit to put it mildly, and since the issue is one addressing pikuach nefesh, the bochrim and seminary girls may participate but in the yeshiva setting only, not in the framework of an IDF environment. The rosh yeshiva added that the yeshiva bochrim and seminary students participating may only be deployed in chareidi areas, not outside their communities.

A vaad rabbonim to address the program and monitor the participants is being formed.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)