The High Court of Justice has issued a directive to the Israeli government demanding an explanation for a resolution passed in June 2023 which exempts Charedi yeshiva students from military draft for nine months, indicating that it is considering overturning the resolution and commencing the drafting of yeshiva bochurim.
The decision underscores the court’s serious consideration of the petitions challenging the government’s exemption policy. By requiring the government to defend its resolution, the High Court places the onus on the state – rather than on the petitioners – to prove the legality of its actions.
The court has also issued an interim order that negates a law provision allowing for automatic exemption from military service if individuals are not drafted by age 20. This specific order targets yeshiva students who have avoided drafting due to the government’s June resolution.
The government is required to respond to these orders by March 24 for the draft exemptions and by March 31 for another contentious issue – the termination of state-funded stipends to yeshiva students. The stipends have been a part of the exemption framework, which is now under scrutiny following the expiration of the relevant law in June 2023.
The Movement for Quality Government, which has been at the forefront of challenging the June 2023 resolution, hailed the court’s decisions. The organization sees these developments as “another step towards full equality in the burden [of military service],” expressing optimism for a change in policy that includes the drafting of Charedi students. “We hope that at the end of the month [of March], we will begin a new era where we all bear the burden of service, including Charedi yeshiva students.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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12 Responses
1) It’s called the Status Quo your honors. The country you believe in was founded on this.
2) The number of Shomrei Torah u’Mitzvos who are currently serving and who have been killed R”L in this conflict alone is staggering and proof that they are not taking their responsibility lightly by any means. How many of them were protesting the very same government just prior to Oct. 7th? Hmm.
3) Ask any Torah Jew who opts to fulfill his/her obligation. They will tell you how they are often turned away because they are not needed (or wanted).
4) Besides ALL of-age citizens ARE DRAFTED. Some receive deferments and some receive piturim and all/most under the law.
YWN: Please change your headings; No one claims that “Chareidim Shouldn’t Be Drafted” it should read “B’NEI TORAH shouldn’t be drafted”!
There are plenty of Chareidim in the army.
“The decision underscores the court’s serious consideration…” bla bla bla
what was considered seriously, was the wording and how to include the stipends to hurt the chareidim financially as much as possible – there was not one second of consideration to the other side.
“…a directive to the Israeli government demanding an explanation…” perhaps more appropriate, to ask the hundreds of Gedolim, Roshei Yeshivos and Manhigim to explain how the Torah protects the country NOT the useless IDF!
The government is required to respond to these orders by March 24 By פורים. May this prove to be a time of horrifying misfortune for the wicked evil supreme court, and of tremendous רווח והצלה for the entire ישיבה establishment
shumos reshaim yirkav
1. Accommodating real Hareidim in the IDF will be seriously disruptive to the IDF, at a time when they are fighting a war.
2. Some Hareidim (and some hilonim) are “conscientious objectors” and will object strenuously (this can be resolved by recognizing conscientious objection, perhaps tied with restrictions on eligibility for government economic benefits). Israel is one of the few countries that does not recognize the concept of conscientious objection to military service (perhaps because in our tradition, if the king is acting contrary to halacha, one may not only refuse his orders, but one is expected to support “regime change”).
3. The change in Palestinian demands, from a return to Jews being a dhimmi (similar to what African Americans experienced under “Jim Crow”) to a demand for a “final solution” (cf. Germany in World War II), may seriously have undermined Hareidi opposition to military service, along with the view of many hilonim that the real enemy of zionism is the hareidim and that conscription is a means of destroying the hareidim once and for all.
Why should anyone be drafted? Why should anyone risk their ives for to protect gazans? Why should the Israel-hating gallant have innocent Israelis at his mercy?
A very good question that many have been asking for decades. After October 7th, they should at least be required to perform some form of alternative public service if they don’t want to serve in the IDF. While there has been a substantial increase in Charedi volunteering for military service since the Hamas attack, the vast percentage still feel others should risk their lives to protect them.
Seder in the morning.
Picking fruit in the afternoon.
It’s called being … productive.
The fact that didn’t draft them till now wasn’t cause of piety it was from the chazon ish and people like that if it comes to court at this time they will take anybody holiness and not those the impure to say that we learn Torah for them and their taste it is a real churban we can be honest and say the real jews never wanted a state and it was only for secralism and not protect us and we do not thank even thier best intentions “the good of the wicked is bad by the righteous” if they can stop Jews from learning even one pasuk they are the worst people on earth a person buts on his tefilin wrong cause he came from the bathroom it’s not worth the state of Israel who needs a state Palestine not us we never wanted or respected any of it this is the truth but if we aren’t going to be truth of Torah they will take the purist and leave the dirty and within a year already no more state of Israel
every year of Israel existence is the biggest miracle and the entire state only came from the biggest of wicked miracles your going to tell me that now we are going to suffer the very Torah from this God not let it
no one should drafted. A draft is tyrants. Ideally everyone but leviim should serve in the army. (not woman)
Exactly who runs the country I’m confused to courts or parliament.
Or the AG Isreal needs a real constitution with defined roles