'Hell No! We Won't Go!'

Anti Vietnam war protest in 1967 (BBC)

Anyone that knows anything about me, knows how upsetting it is to me that all Charedim  in Israel are exempted from army service. 

Not that I don’t believe that there should be some exemptions. There should. What I am opposed to is the wholesale exemption of every single Jew that identifies as Charedi. Wholesale because the law says that as long as one studies Torah full time, they are exempt. The educational paradigm of the Charedi world in Israel is that every single Charedi is indoctrinated to study Torah full time for as long as possible. In Yeshivas until marriage and in Kollel until well after marriage and many children.

The reason this situation upsets me so is that the rest of the country’s youth are required to serve and in many cases are placed in harm’s way. They risk their lives and all too often give up their lives in order to protect their fellow citizens. Including the non serving Charedim. Aside from the Charedi world there is not a mother in Israel who doesn’t worry whether her conscripted son or daughter will come back alive or without permanent injury from combat. 

At no time since Israel’s founding has this situation been more applicable that now - during the prolonged war with Hamas. Making matters worse is Hamas barbarism. A barbarism enhanced with shouts of ‘God is Great’ in Arabic in the belief that being barbaric to Jews is a ‘Mitzvah’. A Mitzvah they are probably all too happy to inflict on captured IDF soldiers. (I don’t think I need to explain where I got that idea from.)

Charedim are adamant that their youth be exempted as a matter of government policy. Even as the war rages on and soldiers are dying in battle they have a bill ready to present to the Knesset that would equate Torah study to army service. It has been tabled for now. But Charedi politicians have pledged to resubmit it after the war.

In the meantime there is a shortage of manpower in the IDF. Reservists have been called up to serve in unprecedented numbers and for longer periods of time. That has prompted the following - as reported by VIN: 

In a shocking threat, Israel’s Attorney General has threatened to draft all military-age Charedim–including full-time yeshiva students… 

She announced that if by the end of next month, the government does not extend the draft exemption for yeshiva students, and declare its intent to enact a new draft law, all conscription obligations would immediately apply to all yeshiva students, even those who are ‘Torasam Umanusam’ (full-time yeshiva students). It was also announced that yeshiva funding would be cut off.

 The reaction of the Charedi world was predictable: 

According to Kan 11 News, AG Gali Baharav-Miara announced the devastating threat, which would be catastrophic for the Charedi community, and greatly diminish the amount of Torah being learned, at a time when z’chusim are badly needed for Klal Yisrael... 

I don’t believe the AG’s threat will ever come to fruition. Netanyahu’s government coalition would melt faster than an ice cube in a volcano. He will surely find a way to extend their exemption and retain his iron grip on power.

Charedi anti draft protest (Jerusalem Post)

But it isn’t just about Netanyahu. It’s about what would happen of Israel would actually try to implement drafting all Charedim into the IDF. The protests that would ensue would make anti Vietnam era war protests look like a walk in the park.

At a time of war, that level of massive Charedi protest could easily harm the war effort. Something Israel does not need. Making matters worse would be the certain counter protests by secular and Dati Israelis who have served - and are serving. Many of whom have been killed or seriously and permanently injured. Those protests will almost certainly become violent. Generated from both sides. I can’t begin to imagine what that kind of damage that violence will do to Israel. All to the glee of Hamas and all other enemies of the Jewish people.

This cannot be allowed to happen. As unfair as it it, radical changes at a time of war will be counter productive to the war effort and safety of the Jewish people - despite the noble intent of the AG. But if it does, the fault will lie almost entirely on the reprehensible anti army policies of the Charedi community. Despite their lofty rhetoric about the Zechusim (merits) Torah study would provide at a time of war.

This is not to say that Torah study should end and that the Zechusim Torah study provides aren’t real. Of course they are real. And needed now more than ever. But it cannot be the case that every single Charedi youth should be doing that. Yes, those students that are the ‘cream of the crop’ of Torah study who have the potential to be future Torah scholars and rabbinic leaders should be exempt.  And there are a lot of those. 

But in my view, that is not the majority of the Charedi world. Most of whom will be fine Bnei Torah but staying in the Beis Hamedrash during a time of war when their manpower is needed is a bad idea. Klal Yisroel will be better served by their participation in the army. And that doesn’t even speak to Charedim that simply use their mediocre Torah study as an excuse to get out of army service. Nor does it speak to those that just take up space in the Beis Hamedrash and spend more time schmoozing with their equally lazy friends than they do studying Torah. And there are plenty of those, too. 

None of above should be exempt. But they all are. And are thereby spared spilling any of their blood. And their mothers are spared grieving over it.

So I part company with Charedi leadership. Yes to Torah study. But no to using Torah study to exempt them all. Which is the situation the AG wants to change. If she would somehow get her way (and she should albeit with exceptions along the lines I suggested) there will be a second (internal) war between Charedi protesters and secular/dati protestors that could easily shed its own blood. 

If that should God forbid happen, I would be siding with the counter-proesters. They would be the ones on the right side of this issue, Not the Charedim. Charedi blood is not redder than the blood of the rest of the country 

I can’t stress enough the injustice of one segment being required to risk their lives protecting those who refuse to do so. I cannot stress enough the injustice of mothers of one segment of Israel being subjected to the realistic possibility of grieving over a child lost or permanently injured in combat - while the mothers of another segment don’t have to worry about it. 

No matter how much Charedi mothers Daven for the safety of the soldiers… No matter how much their sons spend extra time learning for the Zechus of the soldiers... No matter how legitimately they empathize with those grieving mothers… it is not the same as it would be if it were happening to them. And that is a true injustice. 

Nuff said!