Israel – Cabinet Exempts Charedi Yeshiva Students from Military

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    Israel – The cabinet secretly decided to cancel compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, desite the objections of the Israel Defense Forces.

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    The decision, which followed pressure by the treasury and ultra-Orthodox coalition parties, was made during the intense debates on the Economic Arrangements Law in mid-July.

    Since the move was not part of the Economic Arrangements Law it was not published and few people knew about it. It is not clear why ministers such as Defense Minister Ehud Barak and cabinet members from the Labor Party did not discuss the decision publicly.

    The cabinet decided that anyone who studies in an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva up to age 22 would be able to make do with one year of national service, in a hospital or in the Magen David Adom ambulance service, for example. Immediately after that he would be able to join the labor force.

    Until now, according to the controversial Tal Law, anyone who stopped studying at the age of 22 could be recruited by the IDF for an abbreviated service.

    Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi objected several times recently to any change in the law, and against letting 22-year-old ultra-Orthodox men who abandoned their studies evade the draft.

    Ultra-Orthodox rabbis and politicians were concerned by the change in regulations stipulating that every 22-year-old man could leave the yeshiva for national service regardless of his marital status. Since the Tal Law’s enactment, the Defense Ministry has distinguished between single yeshiva students and married ones.

    Until now Defense Ministry regulations exempted from military service only married yeshiva students aged 22 and above with one child, or married 26-year-olds with no children.


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    17 Comments
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    Baruch
    Baruch
    13 years ago

    Baruch Hashem!!! Now the Medina will have lots of Hatzlacha!!!

    Lodzker
    Lodzker
    13 years ago

    Let all the haters see that the treasury put in that the charedim be exempt from service! this means that the state treasury (you know… the department dealing with finance…) holds the charedi public to be significant in the economy of the state.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Shevet Levi roars on

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Reply to #1

    You say “baruch hashem” that a minority of the population will be able to evade serving in the army and let others take on the risk of defending the medinah. Most of us would say “hashem yarachem” on those who would put but the burdens on others while enjoying the freedom and security they enjoy despite their selfish and self-centered focus on their own preferences.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Reply to #3

    Shevet Levi is shorthand or code for the only one of the twelve shevotim of bnai yisroel who stayed on the sidelines “for religious reasons” and let all the others shevotim do the heavy lifting and fighting when they arrive in eretz ca’naan.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    there should Be mandatory testing on the mesechta they are learning etc. from an outside firm for all bochurim. this way we will know how serious of a learner the bochur is. otherwise its all hefkayrus

    shlomozalman
    shlomozalman
    13 years ago

    Forcing the chareidim into the army would not have work, they would have preferred to sit in jail. How sad, they will now remain in their holier than thou distortion of yiddishkeit.

    Joe-Shmoe
    Joe-Shmoe
    13 years ago

    Reply to #5

    Yes they should be the same putzim as the chilonim. risking their life only to have sharon reenact the girush of spain, then comes natanyahu ready to stop building saying that he’s ready to give that back too.

    PMOinFL
    PMOinFL
    13 years ago

    Reply to #2

    It is a bit too soon to start singing about victory. The reason for this is that the country can no longer afford to pay and pay and pay. Hard-working people cannot afford to pay for their own family let alone support 2 others through taxes. The economy is crumbling under the weight of those who refuse to work.

    I will be happy to lead the celebratory parade when I see people actually get jobs. When I see our schools start encouraging a PROPER education and PROPER job training, I will be thrilled. When I see buses full of EMPLOYED, skilled members of our community heading out to earn a living every day, then I will celebrate. I’ve been burned by these things too many times in the past.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Reply to #`10

    While you cite a few anecdotal examples, most of the leviim worked in the mishkan and bais hamikdash and were not the primary tribe from which the military was drawn. Cohanim and Leviim were generally intellectuals,not warriors.

    Shimon2001
    Shimon2001
    13 years ago

    This decision is both good and bad.
    Good because it will allow bochorim to do 1 year of National Service and get out and work.

    Bad because it continues to allow the bochorim to shirk their responsibility to defend their country. Yes it takes away from other pursuits, such as learning. Yes it requires you to interact with non-religious Jews. Yes it is dangerous. However there is no one else. Only the Jews will defend Israel.

    Anon Ibid Opcit
    Anon Ibid Opcit
    13 years ago

    #11 – Twaddle and nonsense. There are haredi-friendly units with all the restrictions and halachic purity they demand. Almost no haredim enlist in them.

    On the other hand, given leaders like Shapira and Ginsburgh, maybe it’s for the best. I wouldn’t want their followers in control of repeating firearms and effective training in violence.