Israel – After 4-Hour Meeting Hesder Yeshivas to Continue Relationship with IDF, Rabbi Melamed Surrenders

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    Israel – The Union of Hesder Yeshivas decided to continue their relationship with the IDF while still continuing their campaign to bring Har Bracha Yeshiva into the special arrangement with the IDF via political, public, and legal means.

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    At the end of a four-hour meeting, the head of the union, Rabbi Chaim Druckman said, “Rabbi Eliezer Melamed adapted himself to the Hesder rabbis in everything regarding the relationship with the military and the IDF officers.”

    Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, of the Har Bracha yeshiva, has agreed to denounce political demonstrations by Israeli soldiers in uniform, after his comments to the contrary led the army to cut its ties with his seminary.

    During the four-hour meeting with other hesder rabbis, Rabbi Melamed, agreed to sign a statement clearly opposing the protests.

    The statement also expresses the rabbis’ appreciation of the defense establishment, the IDF and its commanders. The statement signifies Melamed’s capitulation in the dispute with the army and Barak; he had earlier refused to sign such a statement because he said it would be forced upon him.

    Defense Minister Ehud Barak last week ousted Melamed’s yeshiva from its hesder arrangement with the army, in response to the rabbi’s call for Israel Defense Forces soldiers to refuse orders to enforce a construction freeze in West Bank settlements.

    On Thursday, rabbis and teachers from Hesder yeshivas, which offer Torah studies alongside military service, released a letter to students in which they reiterated their assertion that soldiers must refuse orders if they are commanded to evacuate settlements, arguing that Torah law is above the Israel Defense Forces.

    The letter emphasized the importance of enlisting to the military, but instructs soldiers to adhere to Jewish law when it conflicts with orders handed down from superiors.

    The Union issued the following statement:

    1. All the heads of the Hesder yeshivot unambiguously negate all demonstrations in the IDF, out of a desire to maintain the cohesiveness and unity of the IDF. We reiterate our admiration for the security establishment, for the IDF and its commanders who are engaged in the sacred work of defending and protecting the State of Israel and its citizens.

    2. Out of a responsibility towards the preservation of the IDF’s cohesiveness, we once again demand that the security establishment not involve IDF soldiers in missions of a civilian nature.

    3. Based on these understandings, we call for the reinstatement of dialogue with the IDF and the renewal of the glorious tradition according to which all decisions having to do with the Hesder are coordinated with us.

    4. The Defense Ministry’s decision to cancel the Hesder arrangement in Yeshivat Har Brachah is grave, and creates a grave split in the IDF and in the nation.

    5. The Hesder Yeshivot Union will do all it can to restore the Har Brachah situation to what it was before.

    Asked to elaborate, Union spokesman Rabbi David Stav said that the Union would do “everything” to solve the Har Brachah situation, “including turning to politicians and to the courts.”

    “Rabbi Eliezer Melamed came out a hero,” said one observer. “The rabbis have returned to the ball to [Defense Minister Ehud] Barak’s court, and if he doesn’t reinstate Har Brachah, the other yeshivot don’t plan to remain quiet; they will even take the matter to the courts.”


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    20 Comments
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    michali
    michali
    14 years ago

    The Hesder Rabbis have no backbone. They sent a terrible message to their talmidim.

    Ich shaym zich oych nisht
    Ich shaym zich oych nisht
    14 years ago

    No matter what Rabbi Melamed does, Barak is an ego maniac and has been in the forefront of the Labor Party throughout Israel’s history in instigating Secular jews hatred of religious Jews. He will not chg his mind. Rabin Peres, barak and Dayan taught the seculars that religious Jews were “parasites and did not serve in the army”. Now it is in his self-interest to make Hesder look like a fifth column. The Hesder soldier has fought for his country well and there are difficulties in building the bridge between the secular officers and soldiers and the religious including the Hareidi battalion.
    The Arabs have no problem because it is all one way. I agree that soldiers should not question orders but the whoole purpose thety enlisted was to defend ALL of Israel against it’s enemies not fellow Jews who are caught up in an international peace effort. Barak should not expel an entire yeshiva which have idealistic men who want to sinverely and spiritually serve it’s citizens just because the the army is using them to extricate Jews from their homes and they feel a religious conflict. Brak is and always will bhbe a Mumar lehacis- even though I agre with his principles on thi.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    This is a disgrace; this is also the pushing of Rabbi Druckman who is obviously a puppet for the memshalah! It seems he always comes through for ‘them’. The Hesder yeshivot should not have caved – it seems that HaRav Melamed is really alone in this! The D.M. has proved over and over again his sinah for the yehudim!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Idont really understand this whole thing…. Rabbi Melamed did something that the govt does not like and they are shutting him down. The students can go to a diff Hesder Yeshiva. This is not about the Hesder program, merely against one yeshiva who did something thatthe govt doesn’t like. In business if you violate the contract you stand a chance to lose it.

    Zionist
    Zionist
    14 years ago

    With all due respects, I am glad that Rabbi Malemud showed his true colors and capitulated. The fact is that Religious Zionists (Mafdal Party) have been puppets over the entire existence of the State. What is shocking as of late is that the Agudah is actually also going in that direction, no spine and boneless when they see a few bucks.
    But Rabbi Malamud and his other so-called Roshei Yeshivos have been teaching their students for years nowm that we are in Aschelta DeGeulah, the start of Redemption when the State was founded. Shame on them and shame on this kind of Geulah to have to copitulate to someone that is so far away from Torah like Barak.
    I am sure that Barak knew who he was dealing with, because he would never have made a forceful statement as he did, if this would have been Rabbis of America, who are independent from the Israeli checks and funds.
    The fact is that we are very close to the Geulah, as Rabbi Solomon from the Lakewood Yeshiva said. Because with leaders that are leaderless, we know we are at the end of Golus.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The article title is misleading.

    Rabbi Melamed didn’t give in on the main part of his message–that soldiers should refuse orders to expel Jews. He only gave in on agreeing to sign that he disagreed with protests being held in the army, which is something that he believed anyway (but didn’t want to be forced to sign under threat)