Hesder rabbonim convened in urgent session today, Sunday, seeking a solution to the crisis, the widening rift between the Defense Ministry and the hesder network of yeshivot. The meeting came following Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s decision to oust the Har Bracha Hesder Yeshiva from the network, a decision most rabbonim did not believe would be made, but Barak decided to flex his political muscle, seeking to put hesder rabbonim back in line, demanding unconditional loyalty to the IDF and government, unwilling to hear statements of Torah Law superseding military commanders.

While the chairman of the hesder yeshivot, HaRav Chaim Druckman Shlita is a moderate, and was hopeful that all the rabbonim would sign a letter condemning political protests in the military, it appears a solution to the problem will not be that simple.

The result of the meeting did not yield any dramatic results or statements, with the hesder union releasing an official policy statement opposing protests in the army, but simultaneously calling on the IDF to remove soldiers from all non-military activities, such as the removal of civilians from their home, a job that hesder rabbonim [and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gabi Ashkenazi] believe belongs to Israel Police units.

The point is that the urgent conference did not result in a major unified hesder declaration of unwavering support of the IDF and its commanders, and as such, it is most unlikely that the defense minister is about to reverse his decision concerning Har Bracha any day soon.

On the other hand, hesder spokesman and a rosh yeshiva of the one of the organization’s yeshivot, in Petach Tikvah, Rabbi David Stav, released a statement indicating the rabbonim and the movement plan to continue efforts towards actualizing the reinstatement of the Har Bracha yeshiva into the system.

The rabbonim also call on the Defense Ministry to return to the pre-crisis stage, in which the hesder network maintained a model relationship with the IDF and government officials, indicating if left with no alternative, the leaders will use all political and legal means at their disposal towards the reinstatement of Har Bracha into the hesder system.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)