 |
| Do Charedim still consider the draft- Shmad? |
There has been a massive earthquake in Israel. Not a physical earthquake. A spiritual earthquake. So massive is the proposed change in the Charedi position on drafting their students, I can’t really believe it’s happening. In fact, I’ll believe it when I see it…when it is actually implemented. It is almost too good to be true. From VIN:
In the wake of the public debate over the new Draft Law, a dramatic proposal has allegedly been put forward by Charedi parties to begin drafting approximately 25% of yeshiva students who come of age each year, and later raise the percentage to nearly 50%, which would amount to 6,000 yeshiva students, Israel Hayom reported.
A few days ago I referred to a story about a possible break between Charedi politicians in Israel and their rabbinic leadership (often referred to simply as ‘the Gedolim’). Which by itself was unprecedented. But this is more than a little ripple of disagreement. It seems like a split of gargantuan proportion.
The hard fact is that Charedi opposition to the draft was one of the few things they have always said was non negotiable. Opposition that was based not only on reducing the numbers of Charedim learning Torah full time. But fear that the army would disabuse their students of their God fearing ways - and ultimately their religious practice. Arguments to the contrary have always been dismissed as not good enough – with the government falling well short of all the promises they made to accommodate Charedi recruits in special Charedi units.
Opposition to the draft has remained firm since the establishment of the state. Every time there was discussion among Israeli officials about drafting any number of Charedim - no matter how small the percentage - massive protests called for by the Gedolim broke out. As recently as a few days ago, in a act of solidarity with Israeli Gedolim the American Agudah Moetzes published the following words in an email blast I received:
Now, the authorities in the Holy Land have cancelled deferrals and exemptions from army service for those scholars, attacking the Torah and its Giver, and because of these anti-religious motivations they are endangering all Jews in this time of war.
We join in the pain and worry of all Jews at this danger. We join with the great Torah leaders of the Holy Land in their call to stand against this ruling.
Obviously compromise was the furthest thing from the mind. And now… THIS?
I’m not sure what to make of it. If true... have the Israeli Gedolim done a complete 180 about the draft? Or are Charedi politicians acting on their own? I find the latter highly unlikely. Because almost by definition Charedi politicians will never defy their leadership.
I am hopeful but nonetheless skeptical about the reliability of this news. I do not see a massive change in policy on an issue of this nature. An issue that has been at the core of Chareid policy from which their leadership has never veered.
And what about the hard core Jerusalem faction? They are not going to take this sitting down. There will surely be unprecedented protests that will cause unprecedented disruption in the lives of all Israelis - including Charedim. How will the Charedi leadership deal with that?
On the other hand if this is indeed
true and a compromise of this nature is acceptable to both sides - it can usher
in a new era of unprecedented unity among Jews of good will and of all stripes.. A unity that was heretofore unachievable except for the briefest of
moments during times of tragedy. As was he case in the immediate aftermath of
the October 7th Hamas massacre.
The benefits of this compromise (if true) are unlimited. If secular Israelis were ever ready for outreach... ready to take a new look at what it means to be Jew.. there has never been a better time than now. The observant community will have a golden opportunity to rise to the occasion and welcome them with warmth and open arms.
