Jerusalem – Since Israel became a state, the Haredi population has been exempt from serving in the military. However, growing pressure from the secular community regarding the group’s high unemployment rate, state benefit dependence and lack of military service led to a new law being passed in March 2014 that requires Haredi men to provide military service.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Vice News reporter Alex Miller (http://bit.ly/1tmMoyh) visited Israel and the Netzah Yehuda, an ultra-Orthodox battalion made of volunteers, to get their point of view on the conscription law, as well as leaders of the ultra- Orthodox community to get their viewpoint on the military and how the ultra-Orthodox serving will affect them.
Reports show that approximately 20 percent of men lose their religious identity while in the army. Yoelish Krauss, the unofficial director of EDA Haredit, says, “They want to draft the Haredi in order to extinct them.”
For the ultra-Orthodox, taking boys out of Yeshiva and putting them in the military is corrupt to the community, which values the study of the Torah above all else.
Netzah Yehuda training camp in the Jordan Valley had more than 800 members as of 2013, which is still a very small percentage compared to the rest of the IDF. For those serving, challenges are faced every day but expected.
According to one soldier, serving in the military as an ultra-Orthodox member is different because “you’re serving a higher purpose.” Abuse from their own community sometimes goes hand-in-hand with joining the army, he continued. Some boys get kicked out of their homes, and video footage has shown ultra-Orthodox military members getting physically assaulted.
With the Haredi population estimated to make up 25 percent of Israel by the late 2050s, it is projected that serving in the military, ultra-Orthodox or not, will become the standard.
Watch the full report below:
Information taken from Vice News
1) “Approximately 20 percent of men lose their religious identity while in the army”. Surprised? Let’s have another look.
Fellow is Hareidi. He joins the IDFand gets harassed when he comes home by his fellow Hareidis. So why should he remain Hareidi? Since all he knew about religion was Hareidi and Hareidis turn him off he of course loses his religious identity! Surprised? Then they blame it on the IDF!
2) Some Hareidis who already don’t want to be Hareidi before joining probably look at joining the IDF as a way out. DOn’t blame the IDF. Rather figure out what you’re doing wrong that makes him not want to be Hareidi.
Considering that these Hareidis are joining a group of Hareidis when they join the IDF, you can’t blame the IDF.
#2 these figures come from Mizrachi. And I even saw estimates of 40%
One other point, at the IDF induction ceremony, most often at the Kotel, they give the soldiers a Chumash. Why would they do that if their objective is to take them away from Torah. There is no logic to that.
People should think, not just take everything someone, organization or group says when they have an agenda.